Strangers Like Me
by Hobbsy3
Summary: Dwarves are not accepted in the Shire, with one notable exception-the dwarf who was pulled from the river as a young child with no memory and a toy bow and raised by Bilbo Baggins. When 12 dwarves arrive at Bag End, his world is turned upside down, and he is forced to chose who he truly is, the nephew of a king or the son of a hobbit. In his heart, he will always be Kili Baggins.
1. Chapter 1: Blank Beginnings

**I was not planning on uploading this story, but unfortunately equivalent-of-eight-year-old Kíli would not leave me alone. This idea was one I had to write just to get out my head, and he made me update it. He won't let me get over my writers block for my other two stories until I upload this so just blame him.**

**This story will probably be updated slowly because it will be low priority under school work but the priority may be raised above Any Other World depending on reviews and stuff, I have a lot more enthusiasm for this than for Any Other World. I may, after uploading the first few chapters, hiatus this until I've finished one of my other two stories but who knows! It will be written, is all I can say! **

**Age wise, I will try to explain in the story but feel free to ask about equivalents if you don't understand. **

**This story is named after ****_Strangers Like Me, _****a song from ****_Tarzan, _****and is based off of a mixture of Tarzan, Jason Bourne and a flash of inspiration. **

**Read. Enjoy. Review. **

**Chapter One # Blank Beginnings #**

As a general rule, one did not find dwarves in the Shire. They were neither trusted nor accepted, with most hobbits being of the opinion that the rough people of Durin's folk were mainly thieves or rogues, and any dwarf that did enter the Shire was welcomed by fearful glares and distrustful shadows tailing them until they left the rolling green hills behind.

Every rule has exceptions, and in this case the exception was a young dwarf known as Kíli Baggins.

Our story begins, however, before Kíli Baggins _was_ Kíli Baggins.

It begins in the year 2920, when Kíli was fifty-six years old - roughly the equivalent of a seven or eight year old son of man.

The residents of Hobbiton were absolutely miserable, including Bilbo Baggins, who had been banished to Brandy Hall. A sickness was swooping across the Shire and his parents had sent him away until it passed, despite the fact that he was twenty-nine and would be an adult in four years.

The previous night the storm had begun, a storm far more violent that the usual showers seen in the Shire, and that fateful night while the storm raged on, a messenger arrived to inform the residents of Brandy Hall that Mr and Mrs Bungo and Belladonna Baggins had passed away.

Bilbo appeared for a moment to take the news well, nodding and blinking for a long moment. Then he ran, darting out of the back door of the hall and running away.

He did not know what he was running to or from, he just had to do _something, _anything, to get away from the unfathomable task of doing nothing at all.

He did not stop running until he reached the Brandywine River, where he let out his grief and anger in an uncharacteristic wail. When he stopped he hung his head, shaking with silent sobs of grief.

The usually calm, clear river had been possessed by the storm, and sent inky black water gushing downstream with powerful speed that would drown an elf.

After seconds that felt like hours he looked down at his feet, which were almost black with what was hopefully mud. Deciding to dangle his feet in the water to get some of the mud off, Bilbo sat on the bank and lowered his feet into the dark, yelping when his toes touched something squidgy that was definitely not water. He peered over the edge of the bank with a sharp gasp.

Lying on a rock, tangled in the reeds on the bank of the Brandywine River was a child, only a little taller than Bilbo's hip. Though most of his face was above water, almost all of the rest of his body was submerged, and Bilbo supposed that he had been washed downstream only to get caught in all of the weeds at the side of the river.

Automatically he hooked the child out of the river, wiping the dark hair away from his face so he could listen for any breathing. Miraculously, the boy still breathed, and Bilbo noted in shock that the child was in fact a dwarfling, who looked tall enough to just pass Bilbo's waist.

One hand was clenched in a fist around a small wooden bow that was no more than a child's toy, and several strands of blond hair were woven around his fingers. Other than that, he had nothing but the clothes that he wore.

"H-hello?" Bilbo's teeth chattered and though he had never been one for profanities he cursed internally. If he was shivering so, how cold must the poor child be? "Can you hear me? Wake up, please?"

He was mildly surprised when the boy moaned softly, but otherwise he did not stir, so Bilbo did the only thing he could. He hoisted the boy into his arms, grunting in surprise when the dwarfling was a little heavier than he expected, and ran to the nearest house.

Relieved to recognise that the home belonged to Adalgrim Took, one of his numerous cousins, Bilbo kicked on the door desperately.

"Adalgrim? Adalgrim?"

The door opened almost immediately, a familiar seventeen year old child (who was the equivalent of a ten or eleven year old son of man) gaping up at Bilbo before running away with a shriek of "Papa!"

Adalgrim rushed into the hall and his eyes widened as he looked at Bilbo. "What on earth are you doing, Bilbo Baggins?"

"I need help, he needs help!" Bilbo rushed, and Adalgrim ushered him into the kitchen, brushing the last remnants of dinner off of the table.

"Lay him here. Who is he?"

"I have no idea." Bilbo admitted, wiping his sopping curls from his face. "I f-found him in the Br-Brandywine…"

"Paladin, go and get me blankets, lots of them, and some clothes for your cousin Bilbo." Adalgrim ordered, and his son scampered off obediently. "What were you doing in the Brandywine River?"

"I wasn't in the river." Bilbo clarified with some annoyance. "I went for a walk."

"In this weather?"

"My parents are dead."

Adalgrim's face fell. "I am so sorry, Bilbo."

Bilbo nodded, guiltily grateful for the distraction the dwarf provided. "Will he be alright?"

"I don't rightly know, hang on, _Daisy!" _Adalgrim hollered for his wife. "We need you, and your little healing box!"

Moments later the skilled healer that was Daisy Took emerged with a little wooden box and a shocked expression. "Why is there a dwarf on my dining room table?"

"Bilbo pulled him out of the river; he's but a wee child."

"What on earth was he doing in the river?" Daisy blinked.

"We don't know." Adalgrim explained. "Will you look at him?"

"Of course." Daisy sent a playfully scathing look at her husband. "He's but a wee child."

"Don't mock me, woman." Adalgrim's usually jovial tone was soft and Daisy looked between the two men as she started to remove the dwarfling's sodden outer layers of clothing.

"What else have I missed?"

"Belladonna and Bungo have passed away."

"Oh, Bilbo!" Daisy gasped, looking distraught.

"Blankets!" Paladin, the seventeen year old son of Daisy and Adalgrim who had opened the door for Bilbo, threw them at his father and passing Bilbo a bundle and staring at the dwarf on the table with timid curiosity. "And some clothes, Cousin Bilbo."

Bilbo scurried off to get rid of his wet clothes and when he returned the dwarfling was cocooned in blankets on the table, and Daisy was finishing off a bandage that had been wound around his head.

"Don't, Esme…"

Bilbo looked around at Paladin who was holding out his arm to prevent a wide eyed girl that Bilbo recognised as his fifteen year old sister Esmeralda, who was staring at the dwarf with a considerably smaller amount of fear than her brother.

"What's that for?" Bilbo asked in concern regarding the bandage, and Daisy sighed sadly.

"The lil' one hit his head pretty badly, Bilbo." The female healer stood up. "We've got the fire going to keep him warm, but I have to warn you, he may not last it through the night."

"What?" Bilbo gasped, and Daisy put her arms around her two youngest children with a sad sigh.

"A hobbit child would not have lasted this long, Bilbo."

"He's going to die?" Esmeralda looked at her mother with a horrified expression.

Daisy sighed. "There's a very high chance of it."

Esmeralda sighed sadly.

"If I may, I would like to stay with him." Bilbo swallowed.

"Well your certainly not going anywhere at this time of night." Adalgrim said. "There's a spare bed down the hall if you want to sleep in a bed, _we're_ going to go back to bed now, but if you need _anything, _just call us, alright?"

"Mama, I wanna help Bilbo look after the dwarfling!" Esmeralda protested softly.

"Maybe tomorrow, but for now we need to let him sleep." Daisy whispered, herding her children up the stairs.

"Thank you very much." Bilbo nodded, sitting down on a chair next to the boy. Tentatively he reached out and stroked the boy's damp, tangled hair until he himself fell to sleep.

A soft whimpering woke him as the sun came up, and he blinked. The dwarfling was sitting up, still entwined in the blankets, staring at Bilbo with fearful brown eyes.

"Hello…" Bilbo whispered, his voice cracking tiredly. "It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you."

"Wh-wh-where am I?" the child swallowed, shying away from Bilbo fearfully as the hobbit stood up.

"You are in Buckland, in the Shire." Bilbo explained quietly, so as not to frighten him. "What's your name?"

"My…my name?" the boy's eyebrows knit together quite adorably and he started to hyperventilate. "I-I don't know, I…I can't remember…I can't remember anything, I-"

Bilbo recognised boy's hyperventilation mutating into hysterical sobs of fear and he took a small step closer to the child. "It's alright, it's alright! I'm Bilbo, this is my cousin's house, you're safe here. You've hit your head, pretty badly so just breathe, deep breaths, there we go… Just breathe, breathe…"

The dwarfling took several deep breaths, trembling from head to toe and raising a hand to his aching head. "How'd I get here?"

"I pulled you out of the river last night…Don't think about what you _can't_ remember, think about what you do remember…" Bilbo tried, and the boy started to cry more.

"I don't remember anything! Where I come from, what my name is, I don't _know!" _

As the dwarfling's voice rose to a shout, Bilbo walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. The boy flinched away, but Bilbo just crouched a little so that he was eye level with the boy "Then we shall just have to figure it out, won't we?"

The boy blinked. "Wh…what _are _you?"

"I'm a hobbit." Bilbo gave a little smile, and the boy concentrated.

"A halfling?"

"Exactly…"

The boy peered over, looking Bilbo up and down. "So it's true…your beard _is_ on your feet!"

Bilbo laughed. "I suppose it is."

The boy smiled tentatively, and Bilbo picked up the bow.

"Does this remind you of anything? We found it in your hand."

The boy took the bow from Bilbo's hands and ran his fingers over the intricate wood. Carved into the handle was a word and a number.

_Kíli – 2864_

"Kíli…" the boy read aloud.

"So you can read, that's good." Bilbo said calmly and the dwarfling swallowed. "Is that your name? Kíli?"

"I think so…It feels right." He admitted shyly. "But that's all it is, a feeling, I just don't know!"

"Good…that's good enough." Bilbo smiled encouragingly, momentarily forgetting his own grief.

Kíli looked over Bilbo's shoulders and someone squeaked, ducking back out of sight. Kíli screamed, and scrambled backwards. He would have fallen off the table if Bilbo had not caught him, and the hobbit felt the dwarfling's hand tighten around his arm.

"It's alright, it's alright, that's just Esmeralda. Her father is the owner of this house, she won't hurt you." Bilbo soothed the shaking dwarfling, and Esmeralda poked her head around the corner, her golden ringlets messy and her big blue eyes seeking out Kíli with interest.

"Esme, I'm going to _kill _you!" a very annoyed voice called down the stairs.

Unperturbed, Esmeralda snuck into the kitchen. "Hello."

Kíli gripped Bilbo's arm tightly. "H-hello."

"I'm Esme. My mother only calls me Esmeralda when I'm in trouble, Bilbo." She announced in a sweet voice. "What's your name?"

"I think it's Kíli." He whispered, and she cocked her head like a puppy.

"You think?"

"He can't remember anything about his past; we're trying to figure out where he came from." Bilbo explained gently, and Esmeralda came a little closer.

"How come?"

"It's probably from where he hit his head." Bilbo deducted, trying to keep his voice light to try so as not to scare the child.

"It hurts." Kíli whispered into Bilbo's ear, and the hobbit looked at the dwarfling.

"Alright, as soon as Daisy, that's Esme's mother, as soon as she gets down, she can give you something for the pain, Kíli…" Bilbo murmured back, and the dwarfling peered around the hobbit to peek at the little girl.

"You're tiny." Suddenly he blushed, shrinking back behind Bilbo again. "I'm sorry, that was rude, I shouldn't of-"

"It's okay…" She giggled. "How old are you?"

Kíli shrugged, and ducked completely behind Bilbo as a red faced Paladin emerged from the hall. The seventeen year old was taller than Kíli, though less muscled.

"You woke me up!" he accused his sister scathingly.

"_He's _the one who screamed." The girl pointed out, aiming a finger at Kíli who cringed and whimpered.

"Yeah, but I'd bet my breakfast that _you're _the one that made him scream." Paladin rolled his eyes and leant out to flash a grin at Kíli. "Sorry about my stupid little sister. I'm Paladin. I'm glad you're awake."

"Thank you…" Kíli said hesitantly.

"I'm not even stupid!" Esmeralda huffed. "And be quiet, you're scaring Kíli! He won't admit it because he's not a wimp like _some people _I know and he can't remember anything so shh!"

Kíli giggled a little at the sibling spat and both Tooks grinned happily.

Daisy and Adalgrim came down fairly soon afterwards and Daisy gave Kíli some tonic for the pain. Even though she was the one delivering pain relief, Bilbo was the one that the dwarfling stuck by, for more than the first day.

Bilbo and Kíli stayed at the Tooks' house for two weeks, having sent word as far as the North Downs that they had found a lone dwarfling, but no one came for Kíli. Though Daisy was a little guarded around Kíli at first – especially after the initial display of table manners – Paladin and Esmeralda had both claimed Kíli as their new best friend, playing with him and teaching him as much as they could about the little part of the world that they knew, constantly trying to help him remember where he came from.

All he _could_ remember, however, were three faces, and they were faces that he only saw in his dreams. Disheartened, Kíli guessed that 'his' dwarves were imaginary, but even so he spent hours with Esmeralda, who was – for her age - an incredibly gifted, and stubborn, artist. He described the faces that he saw and she sketched them. Paladin sat and watched, softly playing his little flute to help pass the time as Kíli pointed out where Esmeralda had make mistakes. They spent hours and hours murmuring quietly to each other, perfecting every little detail from the dwarfling's vague dreams until finally Kíli had three perfectly lifelike sketches.

They portrayed a golden haired dwarfling and a dark haired dwarf with a stern countenance, as well as a dwarven woman who bore a familial resemblance to the man and the child.

Their acceptance of Kíli was instant and genuine, and their friendship was immediate and strong. However, it was Bilbo who was the favourite.

Whenever he discovered something unfamiliar – which was often – he would seek reassurance or an explanation from Bilbo. Whenever he felt lost or alone or afraid, he would go to Bilbo.

And every night, Kíli would sneak – or try to, he was a dwarf living among hobbits – into the bedroom Bilbo was staying in and lie down by the side of the bed, curl up into a ball and go to sleep.

On the fifth night, Bilbo moved over and allowed the little dwarf to curl up at the end of his bed, and by the end of the second week the young dwarf was cuddling up to the hobbit when nightmares of faceless terrors struck.

Exactly two weeks after Kíli arrived, when Esme and Paladin were at the market with their mother, Bilbo overheard Kíli murmuring quietly to himself.

"What if no one comes? _Why _is no one coming? Am I too annoying? Is my family dead? Do I even have a family? Tell me what to do, Fee!"

"Who is Fee?" Bilbo asked, reluctant to interrupt but unwilling to allow the sweet child to suffer alone.

Kíli jumped, looking down at the floor. "I don't know…It's just a name…a name and a face…"

"A face from one of the drawings?" Bilbo guessed.

"Mm hm." Kíli mumbled. "The blond one, the name Fee just fits, but I don't know who he is… I think he's imaginary, Bilbo. I think I made him up."

"He might be." Bilbo nodded, putting an arm around the little child. "Or he might be a brother, a cousin, a friend…"

Kíli just sniffled.

The next day, Bilbo announced his intentions to Daisy and Adalgrim, and they were only a little surprised.

The hobbit left with the dwarfling for Hobbiton, and Kíli was uncharacteristically quiet as he waved goodbye to his only friends.

"Where are we going?" the young dwarf broke the five minute silence nervously.

"To Bag End." Bilbo gave Kíli a smile. "My home."

Kíli nodded, following Bilbo dutifully through the Shire. It was a long walk, but he did not complain once, trailing closely to Bilbo and looking at the world with wide eyes.

"Well, here we are." Bilbo sighed as he stared at the butter yellow door. His entire life had been behind that door, but now his entire life was completely different.

_I think I'll paint it…_he mused. _A new door, a new start…_

"This is where you live?" Kíli started to smile.

"Where you live, too, if you want." Bilbo tried to offer casually, but Kíli whipped around with such speed and reigned in enthusiasm that Bilbo had to smile.

"Really?"

"Really."

Kíli bit his lip sheepishly. "I have nowhere else to go."

"Well that's settled. You can remain here with me, unless your family come and find you, or you remember where you come from and you wish to leave." Bilbo nodded decisively, holding open the gate for Kíli.

"It's…pretty…" Kíli smiled shyly and Bilbo opened up the door with a smile.

"Welcome home, Kíli."

"Home?" Kíli choked.

Worried that he had offended the dwarfling, Bilbo turned, and Kíli launched into his arms. "Thank you, thank you, thank you Bilbo Boggins!"

"You're doing that on purpose now, aren't you?" Bilbo chuckled, tickling the dwarfling under the arms before he could squirm away.

"Thank you Bilbo!" Kíli sang when he got away, whirling around like a dancer and then throwing his arms around Bilbo again.

Bilbo gave Kíli his old, spacious bedroom, taking his parents' old room himself. Though Kíli had lived for more years than Bilbo, if they took the number on Kíli's bow as a date of which fit Bilbo's limited knowledge of dwarven ageing, the dwarfling was still very much a child, while Bilbo was nearing adulthood. Bilbo would not dwell on the literal age difference for years, and Kíli would always treat Bilbo as his elder and superior, even years later when he received concrete confirmation of the thirty year advance he had on the hobbit…

Needless to say, the citizens of Hobbiton were incredibly shocked at the news that the recently orphaned Bilbo Baggins had opened his home to a young dwarf, and some, including the Sackville-Bagginses, were downright horrified.

"Such a rash decision…" folk would say.

"He'll regret it when he comes of age and gets a dash of sense." Others would add.

"Of course he'll regret it!" The bitterer hobbits would sneer. "It's a dwarf child, no doubt a criminal scoundrel already!"

Then the kinder souls would chip in. "But Bilbo is not much more than a child himself. He's surely just lonely, as soon as he gets over the deaths of dear Bungo and Bella he will most certainly send the dwarf back to the mountain."

Bilbo Baggins did no such thing.

Within a week of Kíli's moving to Bag End, Bilbo had bought a whole wardrobe of nice, comfortable clothes that fit both Kíli's boisterous personality and easy dress sense and the simple fashions of the Shire. The young Bilbo Baggins asked Kíli what his favourite colour was, and to the young dwarf's delight proceeded to paint his door green. He bought several toys and trinkets for the young dwarf from the market and the child and almost-adult spent long sunny afternoons duelling with sticks or playing chase through the woods.

In the second week Bilbo took Kíli out into the garden and started to teach him about plants, recognising quickly that Kíli was only trying to look interested, and hurrying the lessons so that he could instead take Kíli to practise shooting his little bow.

In return, Kíli did any chore, however big or small, whenever Bilbo asked it of him. He idolised the hobbit, viewing him as his saviour from the hellish river, his protector from the harsh gossiping hobbits and his make-shift family in the strange lonely world.

Bilbo was a young hobbit, not even of age, whose world had just been turned upside down.

Kíli was a dwarfling with no memories, who could not even remember what his world should have been like.

Bilbo had an empty home, Kíli had an empty head.

They were the perfect match.

**So, how was that? Worth continuing? Worth prioritising above Any Other World? Tell me lovely peoples, if not I shall shelve it for a while and hope that young Kíli leaves me alone until I've done :)**

**I hope you enjoyed it :)**


	2. Chapter 2: One of Us

**Wow! Thank you so, so much for all the follows, favourites and reviews, that is without a doubt the best response I have ever had to a chapter one, and I'm really happy that you all liked the first chapter. I cannot say how much you all have made my week, and for that I thank you :) **

**I hope you like this one as much as the last one. The hobbits featured in this one are mainly cannon hobbits with their ages tweaked to fit better in this story, and some of them have pretty strong links to LOTR ;) **

**Kíli and Bilbo have cannon ages, and Bilbo is the same age that Pippin would be in LOTR, just to give you an idea. **

**Read. Enjoy. Review. **

**Chapter Two # One of Us #**

For the first month at Bag End, Kíli's main company was Bilbo and his young gardener Hamfast, a friendly young lad in his late tweens who was as loyal to Bilbo as Kíli was. Despite the good company, he missed the only friends he could remember, the Tooks siblings, but only until a knock on the door drew him away from the kitchen on a sunny morning.

"Paladin, Esme!" he cried, elated, as he opened the door.

As Bilbo walked around the corner he saw the two young hobbits launch themselves at Kíli, dragging him into a big hug and almost squeezing all of the air out of his lungs.

"We missed you!" Esme squeaked, a huge smile on her face.

"More than we should've missed a dirty-rotten-no-good-scoundrel of a dwarf." Paladin teased, his tone lacking any menace whatsoever.

"What are you doing here?" Bilbo asked with a smile.

"Hullo, Cousin Bilbo!" Esme greeted cheerfully. "We've moved here, to Hobbiton!"

"Really?" Bilbo blinked. "Why?"

"Because the Healing House needs another healer after Mrs Underhill retired. Mama volunteered." Esme explained happily. "We've come to take Kíli to the market!"

"To the market?" Bilbo blinked.

"Is that a problem?" Paladin asked, crestfallen.

"No, no, it's just that we've only been down the market once and there were enough people staring when he was with me." Bilbo worried. "Not all of the residents of Hobbiton are as nice as you both."

"We'll look after him, please! We'll only be a few hours." Esmeralda pleaded, hugging Kíli and blinking up at Bilbo imploringly.

"How about a deal…" Bilbo mused. "If you bring him back in one piece before noon, I will have a batch of cookies ready for you when you get back. If you're late, I'll come and get you and then you get no cookies."

"That only gives us two hours!" Esmeralda pouted, putting on the puppy dog eyes.

"You obviously don't want me coming with you," Bilbo pointed out, thinking that he could probably get some chores done without Kíli taking over. "But I want to know that you're alright, and not being bullied by some blockheaded Bracegirdle. If all goes well you can take him back to the market later."

"Thank you, Cousin Bilbo!" the Took siblings chorused, grabbing Kíli's hands and sprinting out the door.

"See you later, Bilbo!" Kíli laughed, as he was dragged away.

Esmeralda kept a hold of Kíli's hand as they ran down the sunny path, and Paladin stopped by a small house. "Wait a minute!"

"What's he doing?" Kíli asked Esmeralda nervously as Paladin knocked on the door.

"Getting Saradoc." The girl replied, smiling warmly at Kíli. "He's one of our best friends."

"Oh..." Kíli bit his lip.

"Don't worry, he'll like you!" Esmeralda insisted, instantly recognising Kíli's hesitance. "He's really, really nice! His father's the Master of Brandy Hall, but Saradoc lives here in Hobbiton with his brother Barnabas, because his mother wanted him to learn from his brother and get a proper job so that when _he _comes to rule Brandy Hall he will know about money and stuff. Barney's a fruit vendor."

Seconds later a dark haired hobbit emerged from the house with Paladin. He appeared to be a little older than Esmeralda, about Paladin's age if Kíli guessed correctly, but like the dwarf he was shorter than Paladin and taller than Esmeralda.

"This is the dwarf?" Saradoc sneered in a very unkind tone and Kíli glanced at Esmeralda, unsure of how to react.

"Saradoc!" She put her hands on her hips angrily and the boy laughed, his haughty countenance dropping into a friendly smile.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. You think your name is Kíli, right?"

Kíli nodded cautiously and Saradoc grinned. "I _really_ am sorry. I was doing an impression of-"

"Otho SB!" The Tooks chorused, giggling.

"Who's Otho SB?" Kíli frowned as Saradoc pulled an apple out of thin air and started to eat.

"Otho Sackville-Baggins." Paladin shuddered dramatically. "Haughtiest, most horrible hobbit you're likely to meet. And you _are _likely to meet him; he thinks family honour is everything."

"Oh..."

"Now look what you've done, Saradoc, you've made him all shy again!" Esmeralda scolded and Kíli blushed scarlet. "See!"

"Sorry." Saradoc repeated, looking genuinely saddened at having frightened Kíli. "How about I show you the _best_ place to play in Hobbiton and you can all forgive me?"

"Deal." Kíli blurted out before either of the Tooks could say anything for him and they all grinned.

"Let's go!" Saradoc ran off in a different direction.

"Saradoc, the market's that way, isn't it?" Paladin frowned.

"I said the best place to play in Hobbiton, and that's not the market, come on, let's go!" Saradoc laughed.

Esmeralda giggled and ran after him, Kíli and Paladin following excitedly.

In minutes they arrived at a peaceful little lake, surrounded by dozens of trees with low branches. In an instant, the three young hobbits darted up the trees.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Kíli frowned.

"You've never climbed a tree before?" Saradoc gaped, and Paladin slapped him.

"He doesn't _know!" _

"Sorry, I forgot." Saradoc looked suitably abashed. "Here, take my hand."

"What?" Kíli took a step back, fear churning in his gut. "That…That doesn't seem natural."

"Taking my hand?" Saradoc looked affronted.

"No, being in a tree!" Kíli hissed, eyeing the colossal plant with apprehension.

"What's wrong, Kíli?" Esme pouted. "Come up!"

"I can't!" Kíli shook his head. "I don't know how."

"Don't know how?" Paladin frowned.

Guilt and embarrassment made Kíli feel nauseous and he made a pitiful plea. "Isn't it a bit elvish?"

"What's wrong with elves?" Esmeralda's pout deepened.

"Um…" Come to think of it, Kíli was not sure.

"Exactly!" Saradoc rolled his eyes, offering Kíli his hand. "We'll show you how, it's not too hard when you try."

One deep breath and one leapt of faith was all it took for Kíli to begin climbing and swinging through the trees like the most skilled of the hobbits.

"Tree top tag!" Esme demanded. "Paladin's it!"

"Oh, yes!" Saradoc whooped, helping Kíli swing from tree to tree. "Come on, quick!"

"Climb, Kíli!" Esme agreed, fleeing from her brother.

"What, why?"

"It's like normal tag, you know on the ground, except you're not allowed down from the trees." Paladin grinned deviously, making a beeline towards Kíli.

Surprisingly, Kíli proved to be great at tree top tag, and their fast paced game went on for two hours, until a scream interrupted their play.

"Drogo, Robin, Hugo! Help!" a little hobbit girl of about Esme's age screamed, pointing at Kíli with terror.

The young dwarf instinctively hid behind the branch.

"No, Rosa, it's alright!" Esme put her hand on Kíli's arm. "This is Kíli, he lives with Bilbo!"

The three hobbit boys the girl had screamed for appeared behind her, along with another couple of girls, and the three boys squared up, though they looked fearful.

"With Bilbo?" the one with the darkest hair asked suspiciously.

"Yes." Saradoc's voice was strong.

"And he stayed with us for two weeks." Paladin smiled at the dwarf, gently pulling him into the other children's view.

Kíli shied away from their suspicious glares but Paladin would not let him go.

"There's nothing wrong with him, and he's more afraid of you than you are of him!" Esme finished with a victorious nod.

"Hey!" Kíli protested, feeling himself blush.

"Well?" Esme's eyes flashed fiercely. "Am I right or am I right?"

"You're right." Kíli grumbled.

"Exactly. Now…" she jumped down from the tree, holding her hand out to Kíli. He slowly scrambled down from the tree. "Everyone, this is Kíli…Kíli, this is Rosa Goodchild, Drogo Baggins, Robin Smallburrow, Primula Brandybuck-"

"Prim Brandybuck." The girl interrupted with a wince.

"My cousin." Saradoc added, flashing a grin first at Primula and then at Kíli.

"- Hugo Boffin, and finally little Milo Burrows." Esmeralda jabbed Kíli in the ribs. "Say hello, Kíli."

"Hello…" he said obediently, praying that he would be able to remember all of the names, at least the first names.

"He's not going to hurt us?" Rosa, the girl who had screamed, bit her lip.

"I wouldn't." Kíli interrupted Paladin's positive reply with a shake of his head. "I wouldn't _ever_ hurt anybody."

"You're staying with Bilbo?" the dark haired Drogo cocked his head.

"Yes." Kíli shuffled awkwardly.

"And Bilbo trusts you?" the girl with the big blue eyes, Primula narrowed her bright blue eyes.

"Yes…" Kíli nodded.

"Alright, that's good enough for me." She grinned. "What are we playing, tree top tag?"

"Prim!" Milo, the littlest boy with the white blond hair, hissed. "It's not safe, Mama said-"

"Saradoc's it!" Esmeralda sang.

Though the newcomers were a little hesitant, the game did not take long to get into full swing once more, Kíli quickly winning over the hobbit children with his quick smile, easy laugh and kind, gentle demeanour.

As the afternoon wore on, they moved down from the trees and began to play on the ground, and Kíli got so caught up in the endless games that he forgot about Bilbo's orders to be back at noon.

By the time another scream interrupted their games again, the sun was beginning to set.

"Milo! Get off him, let go of him!" the boy's mother (Kíli would later learn that her name was Lily) shrieked upon seeing the dwarf giving her son a piggy back.

Kíli blinked in shock as what seemed like endless hoards of angry hobbits – angry _adult_ hobbits – poured into the little field.

"Did you not hear her, you little whelp?" a man stepped forward. "Get off that child, you put him down this instant!"

Kíli lowered the tiny boy to the floor and backed away, surprised by the overreaction.

"Milo, come here!" the same woman cried, and the boy ran to his mother, obviously frightened.

"Get away from those children, dwarf!" the man roared, brandishing a stick at Kíli who flinched away with a little cry and staggered back.

"Leave him alone!" Esme cried in defence of her friend.

"You stay out of this, Miss Took." The man growled, and Esme swallowed, bowing away. "Do you know who I am?"

Kíli shook his head. _Bilbo…where are you…Bilbo? _

"I am Odo Proudfoot; I'm the Mayor of Hobbiton. And that means that I'm in charge here. Get away from those children before you kill somebody!"

"Kill somebody?" Kíli gasped, horrified. "I wouldn't-"

"Milo, darling, I don't want you playing with him anymore." Lily started to usher Milo away and Kíli's cheeks burned with shame and fear.

"Saradoc, what did I do?" Kíli whispered to his nearest friend.

"You're a dwarf…" Saradoc mumbled miserably.

"Listen to me, I don't want _any _of you children to play with this dwarf anymore, understand?" Proudfoot's voice rang loud and strong, and Lily's audible whisper to her son all but mimicked his words.

"I don't want you playing with that child anymore."

"Why, Mama?"

"Because he's not one of us."

"Ow!" Milo winced as his mother's hand pressed on the bruises on his shoulder that he had sustained from falling out of a tree earlier in the afternoon.

"You hurt my son!" the woman gasped, looking at Kíli accusingly. The children began to protest as one body but another angry faced hobbit man that Kíli would later discover was Milo's father lunged at Kíli, brandishing a branch like a weapon.

Kíli screamed, falling to the floor in his attempt to get back away from the man, raising his hands in a vain effort to protect himself. Paladin, Saradoc and Esme had all fallen away, out of his sight and there was no one standing between him and –

"Stop!" a familiar voice yelled, and suddenly the man was knocked away.

"Bilbo-"Odo began but the young hobbit staggered in front of Kíli and did not move.

"Leave him alone, he's done nothing wrong!" Bilbo interrupted fiercely.

Odo growled. "There are bruises-"

Kíli whimpered as Bilbo whirled around to look at him with flashing eyes. "Bilbo, I didn't-"

"He didn't do it!" Bilbo instantly told Proudfoot.

"Listen, Bilbo Baggins, that _thing_ is not one of us, and if you insist on keeping it in your house you will most definitely regret it! He is going to hurt our children, he's going to damage our-"

"Shame on you, Odo Proudfoot!" A familiar voice boomed, and the mayor bristled.

"Adalgrim-"

"Shame on you, shame on you all!" Adalgrim Took repeated scornfully. "This 'dwarf' is a child, Odo, a child! He remembers nothing of his past; save Bilbo he is completely alone in the world! Tell me, did he hurt anyone?"

"Milo has bruises." Lily all but shrieked.

"I fell out of a tree!" The blond boy protested, and Drogo Baggins looked ashamed.

"That um...might have been my fault, I climbed on the branch and it snapped."

"Is this true?" Odo's icy gaze fixed on every child in turn, and each nodded.

"See?" Adalgrim boomed with great authority. "Did he break anything? Did he do anything wrong?"

"He played with our children-"

"Because _he_ is a child! And a good natured, well behaved, and kind hearted child at that!" Adalgrim shook his head and Kíli trembled. He had never seen anyone so furious, not that he could remember. "You may say that Tooks are queer, but I never thought I'd see the day when the residents of Hobbiton acted so cruelly and unjustly to a lonely child with scare anyone to love him and nowhere to go. Shame on you, _all_ of you!"

"And you...you are happy for him to be playing with your children?" Mirabella Brandybuck, Primula's mother, asked, gazing at her daughter.

"More than happy." Adalgrim nodded and the woman took a deep breath.

She stared at Kíli with what looked like pity, appearing as though she wanted to reach out to him, but then she dropped her chin to her chest and put an arm around Prim.

"Come on, Prim, let's go home."

One by one the parents led their reluctant children away and Kíli hung his head. The rest of the hobbits started to walk away, muttering bitterly to each other and casting filthy looks at Bilbo and Kíli. A couple even went so far as to throw some tomatoes at them, and to Kíli's horror, Bilbo shielded him from them, too.

_What's wrong with me? Why are they so afraid? Are dwarves bad, am I bad? _Kíli thought desperately. _And now Bilbo's being scorned by his family and I don't even deserve it._

Curling his legs up into his chest, Kíli bit back a sob.

"Kíli, are you alright?" the sincere concern in Bilbo's voice was more than he could take and he sobbed.

"What's wrong with me? Why do they hate me?"

The next thing the dwarfling knew Bilbo was sitting next to him, pulling him into a hug. "There's nothing wrong with you."

Kíli sobbed again, clutching at Bilbo desperately. "But-"

"Listen to me." Bilbo's quiet voice rang with authority as he leant his head on Kíli's. "Hobbits are remarkably shy, compared to dwarves or men or elves... Anything different scares them."

"And I'm different." Any control Kíli had was lost and he started to sob uncontrollably.

For a moment, Bilbo did not speak. When he did, his voice was low. "There's nothing wrong with you."

"Pay no heed to those uptight blockheads, Kíli." Adalgrim Took crouched down in front of Kíli with his easy smile. "Just keep being your cheerful, gentle self and they'll learn to like you as much as we do."

Kíli just sobbed and shook his head. He had seen the way those hobbits looked at him. They were not going to like him any time soon.

"You can still play with us, Kíli." Esme mumbled, and he looked up at her face.

To his surprise, she was crying, but he shook his head. "Then you can't play with the others and that's not fair."

"Saradoc!" a hobbit of about Bilbo's age leant over the fence. "Come on, it's time for dinner! You can play with your friends tomorrow, I'm hungry!"

"That's Barney, my brother." Saradoc smiled at Kíli sympathetically. "_I_ will see you tomorrow."

"Do you need anything, lad?" Adalgrim asked Bilbo kindly, and the hobbit shook his head.

"No, thank you. We'll be alright, you can go." Bilbo looked up at his cousin with some unspoken signal that Kíli did not care to recognise, and Adalgrim nodded.

"In that case we best be getting home to tell your mother. Something tells me that she won't be too happy about all of this…"

As the Tooks reluctantly followed their father away, Bilbo moved his arm away and Kíli curled in on himself even more.

Was Bilbo going to leave him, too? He should have known better.

"Come on, Kíli, let's go home." His friend's voice was soft, and through his tear filled eyes Kíli could see Bilbo's hand hovering in front of his eyes, but he could not bring himself to take it. "Kíli, take my hand, come on."

Kíli shook his head once more, desperately trying, and failing, to stop the sobs bursting free from his lips.

"Oh, Kíli…." Bilbo bent down and picked the dwarfling, allowing Kíli to curl into his chest. Kíli instantly clutched Bilbo's shirt and wrapped his legs around the hobbit's waist, still crying like a baby.

"We're home." He murmured a short while later as they arrived back at Bag End, carrying Kíli straight to the sitting room and sitting down in the armchair without putting him down.

Trying to speak through the endless sobs resulted only in the hiccups, so Kíli listened to Bilbo's soothing instructions to just breathe as the hobbit rocked him back and forth like a babe.

"I'm sorry!" he cried as soon as he could. "I'm sorry, Bilbo, I'm sorry!"

Bilbo blinked in surprise. "Whatever for?"

"I didn't come home on time and I'm turning all your friends against you and-"

Bilbo pushed Kíli away slightly and forced the dwarfling to look him in the eye. "Stop right there, Kíli. First off, when was the last time you, Paladin and Esme were back when you said you would be, and when was the last time I was angry about it? Secondly, I don't care what Odo Proudfoot thinks."

"But he could…"

"Do what?" Bilbo challenged with a laugh. "He's just a stuffy old hobbit, Kíli."

"Will your family hate you because of me?" Kíli murmured, leaning back against his hobbit's chest, and Bilbo sighed.

"You've done nothing wrong, Kíli, I promise. I don't know what's going to happen, but I know that you've done nothing wrong." Bilbo rested his chin on Kíli's head.

"I'm sorry…" Kíli whispered again, and Bilbo held him close.

"I'll tell you what, tomorrow we'll walk down to the old woods and practise with that little bow of yours. Would that make you feel better?"

Kíli looked up at Bilbo with wide eyes. "Really?"

"I mean it." Bilbo laughed and pulled Kíli closer. "I need you here, Kíli."

"No one needs me." Kíli protested, pushing Bilbo's arm away.

"I don't want to be alone, Kíli." Bilbo's voice was small enough to draw Kíli's gaze. "If you ever left, and I stayed here alone, I'd go mad, or worse!"

"Worse?" Kíli sniffed.

"I'll turn into a boring stuffy so-and-so who fuses over doilies and dishcloths and other superficial nonsense!"

Kíli giggled a little. "No you wouldn't. You're far too interesting."

Bilbo laughed. "I'm glad you think so." A few minutes later, the hobbit spoke again. "Kíli, are you feeling alright?"

"Yes…"

"Honestly?"

Kíli sniffled. "No…"

"List them."

Kíli frowned. "What?"

"List the bad emotions in your head." Bilbo instructed. "That's what my…that's what my father always used to tell me whenever I was upset. Tell me the list."

Recognising that he was not being given a choice, Kíli took a deep, trembling breath. "I'm sad and I'm scared, and confused and ashamed and lonely…"

"I'm here…" Bilbo murmured. "You don't need to be lonely."

Kíli did not say anything, but then again neither did Bilbo when the dwarfling crept into his room that night to curl up and sleep beside him.

When Bilbo woke the next morning, Kíli was still curled up next to him, fast asleep. As a special treat, he cooked a magnificent breakfast for the dwarfling, who seemed in a much better mood that morning, at least until someone knocked at the door.

"Kíli, will you get that?" Bilbo called, lifting the boiling kettle from the stove. When another knock came, Bilbo frowned. "Ki-"

"Will you please?" A quiet voice behind him asked. He turned, eyes widening at the shame and fear in the young dwarfling's eyes.

"Come with me." It was not an offer, and Kíli reluctantly accompanied him to the door, his eyes widening when he saw the crowd of children outside.

"We're sorry about our parents, Kíli." Prim began quickly. "They were cruel and unfair and they didn't listen."

"We've all decided that we don't care that you're a dwarf at all." Hugo chipped in.

"You're our friend." Rosa confirmed.

"And if they don't like you playing with us they can suck eggs." Drogo insisted fiercely.

"I hope that you still want to play with us." Robin looked hopefully at the gaping Kíli.

"It doesn't matter that you're a dwarf." Little Milo made the biggest puppy dog eyes Kíli had ever seen. "Please don't let it matter that we're hobbits!"

Kíli gaped like a fish for a moment, before grinning and stammering out. "I-I…Thank you!"

"Hey, what's going on?" a familiar voice approached the back of the group. "Kíli? Bilbo, what's going on?"

"We're apologising, Paladin." Hugo declared gravelly. "On behalf of our parents."

"Well I never, you blessed children." Adalgrim announced his presence with a deep chuckle.

"Mr Adalgrim, why doesn't my mama like Kíli? I don't understand!" Milo pleaded.

"There are two problems for your mama, the first is a thing called prejudice – she doesn't like Kíli just because he's a dwarf, it's like thinking that a Bracegirdle is stupid just because they are from Hardbottle. The other thing is pride – she's too proud to let you play with him, or to admit that she could be wrong."

"I don't like pride and prejudice." Milo declared. "They're mean!"

"They are." Adalgrim nodded. "Now Bilbo, Paladin and I have just come around to invite you both to dinner tomorrow night."

"That would be lovely, thank you." Bilbo smiled and nodded.

"Will you come and play with us _now_, Kíli?" Hugo cocked his head.

All six hobbit children hit Bilbo and Kíli with puppy dog eyes and the hobbit laughed, looking expectantly at Kíli.

To his surprise, the dwarfling shook his head and took a step backwards towards Bilbo. "No, I can't. I'm sorry. We're going to go into the woods, me and Bilbo."

"Oh, alright…" Drogo looked a little surprised, but he quickly smiled. "Tomorrow?"

Bilbo noticed Kíli shrinking towards him as he answered.

"I…I don't think that's a very good idea."

"Why not?" Rosa frowned, crossing her arms.

"We'll all just get in trouble." Kíli mumbled, leaning against Bilbo.

The young hobbits all looked extremely crestfallen, and Bilbo ground his teeth together.

As soon as they got home from the woods, he was going to have serious words with Odo Proudfoot.

"That's not fair!" Milo pouted, and Primula nodded with a scowl.

"You're right, it isn't fair. It's not fair at all. Old Proudfoot's cruel."

"Come and play with us tomorrow, Kíli." Drogo repeated softly. "We'll be waiting for you."

**I hope that's alright for you all, thanks so much for reading! I don't like this chapter as much as number one, personally, but I do like the next one which should be up tomorrow if all goes well :) Please do review if you want, it makes my day :) **


	3. Chapter 3: Arrows and Flames

**SQUEAL! Thank you sooo much for all my reviews, favourites and follows, I had no idea how popular this story would be! Agh! Thank you all for making my day! **

**A quick note on ages: I have changed some hobbit ages (ie the children) but Kíli's literal age (56) is cannon with these years. His equivalent age – about 8 still in the chapter – is just drawn from ONE INTERPRETATION of dwarven ageing, the one that fits best for this story :P **

**I'm sorry if the hobbits last chapter seemed a bit too violent :L **

**Read. Enjoy. Review. **

**Chapter Three # Arrows and Flames #**

"That doesn't count!"

"I think you'll find that it does count and I won our bet." Bilbo protested smugly. "I hit something; therefore _you_ have to do the washing up for a week."

Not actually caring in the slightest whether or not he actually did have to wash up, Kíli desperately tried to keep a straight face as he replied. "Bilbo, shooting your own foot does not count as hitting something."

"Is my foot a thing?" Bilbo raised an eyebrow.

Kíli scoffed. "That's just-"

"Is my foot a thing?" Bilbo repeated.

"Yes, it is." Kíli sighed dutifully.

"Then I hit something." Bilbo declared with playful pride.

"Alright, alright! You win." Kíli laughed, before looking at the tiny wound on Bilbo's foot. "Are you sure that you aren't hurt?"

"I've told you that I'm alright, Kíli." Bilbo smiled.

"You'd think that after a month you could actually hit something." Kíli's taunt was all the more teasing for his serious tone. "Other than your foot."

Bilbo gave an offended little cough. "I think that you-" He broke off with a groan.

"What's wrong?" Kíli took a little step closer to Bilbo, though his friend had tried to assure him many times since the previous night that no one in the Shire would physically hurt him.

"It's Otho Sackville-Baggins!" Bilbo groaned, before his eyes lit up and he grinned. "Run!"

"Run?" Kíli frowned, and Bilbo grabbed his hand with a cheeky laugh, dragging him into a full on sprint.

"Run!"

Otho, a rather unpleasant looking chap of Bilbo's age scowled as they surged forward.

"Bilbo Baggins! What do you think you're-"

_Splat! _

When Bilbo leapt into a muddy puddle by his cousin's feet at full speed, showering the finely dressed hobbit in filth Kíli laughed so hard that it was a wonder that he was still running.

"Bilbo!" Otho yelled in irritation as they fled.

They ran until Kíli's little legs started to wobble, and then they collapsed happily onto the soft grass of a nearby meadow.

"Why did you so that?" Kíli gasped as he regained his breath.

"Otho's a horrible fellow." Bilbo shuddered dramatically, a sly smile on his face. "Always pinching my things and preaching about family honour and being grown up. He deserved it."

Kíli leant against Bilbo's side, quickly catching his breath. "Race you home?"

Bilbo laughed breathlessly. "We're still miles away, Kíli."

"I'm a dwarfling, not a little hobbit, I can take it!" Kíli half protested, half pleaded. "Please!"

"Alright." Bilbo laughed. "Three, two, one!"

They scrambled back to their feet and ran with the joy fuelled adrenalin that accompany such moments of spontaneous play. Though Kíli was fast, with great stamina for his size and age, Bilbo was a lot faster and a lot stronger, and he noticed when the dwarfling started to slow.

With a cheeky grin he swung the dwarfling up onto his back as if he were no heavier than a hobbit child. Kíli's laugh was all he needed to spurn him on to run until they reached Bag End. Even Bilbo was panting as they tumbled through the front door.

"We won!" Kíli gasped.

"Against who?" Bilbo panted, bending over.

Kíli shrugged, sighing happily. "Alright, you won again! Thank you for taking me out, Bilbo."

"You are most welcome." Bilbo smiled, taking in a deep breath.

The next day they walked down to the Tooks' house for dinner, and Kíli instantly disappeared to play with the two children, allowing the more adult side of Bilbo to emerge to talk to his cousin.

"Adalgrim, what do you know about shooting?"

The old Took turned to look at Bilbo with interest. "Is this about Kíli's little bow?"

"Yes." Bilbo nodded. "I took him up to the woods yesterday to practise his shooting again and he's amazing, a complete natural, but I couldn't help him. Even after watching him and _trying _to help all this time, when I tried to shoot one arrow and all I did was shoot my own foot!"

Adalgrim chuckled. "Is that so? Well, I know a little, most of us Tooks do, as I'm sure you know. Saying that, I'm not the best with the old bow and arrow. You'd be better off talking to someone like Adelard."

"I'm not sure that Kíli needs to be introduced to anyone else at the moment." Bilbo said quietly, and Adalgrim nodded sympathetically.

"Well, I can take the lad out now and again, if you'd like."

Bilbo smiled, his young face lighting up. "I'm sure Kíli would like that very much."

Adalgrim sighed heavily. "Bilbo, lad, we asked you to dinner for a reason."

Surprised by Adalgrim's grave tone, Bilbo stood up. "Oh?"

Daisy walked into the room, closing the door behind her. "They're hunting for will-o-the-wisps in the garden; they'll be occupied for a while." She said softly.

"What's wrong?" Bilbo worried and Daisy sighed.

"Now, you know me Bilbo, and you know that I don't like to assume things, and I definitely don't like to publicise my thoughts unless I know that they are true, or at least the most likely explanation."

"I know..." Bilbo nodded, wondering where exactly she was going with this.

"I noticed something, when you first brought Kíli onto our dining room table, when I dressed that awful bash on his head. I didn't want to say anything because it was neither my business nor my place to do so, but I mentioned it to Adalgrim last night when he told me about the incident in the market. We decided that you ought to know, especially now that it's clear Kíli is not going anywhere."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Bilbo frowned.

Daisy took a deep breath. "I don't think that Kíli hit his head by accident, Bilbo. The wound was too uniform; it looked like he had been hit on the head by a hammer…or at least something like it."

"What?" Bilbo whispered.

"She thinks that someone hit him on purpose." Adalgrim paraphrased.

"What?" Bilbo repeated, shock chilling his bones.

"The shape of the wound made it obvious, Bilbo. It wasn't an accident." Daisy murmured apologetically and Bilbo suddenly felt a little ill.

"You mean to say that someone hit Kíli on the head with a, a _weapon_?" Bilbo cried, looking out of the window to check on the little boy, who was wrestling playfully with Paladin while Esme clapped.

Daisy glanced out of the same window. "I think so, yes."

"The coward probably threw him into the river to be rid of him." Adalgrim growled darkly.

A horrific image burst into Bilbo's mind, an image where a figure wrought in shadow brought down a hammer onto the head of a screaming Kíli, before tossing the innocent little boy's body into the river. Realisation dawned in his mind and he choked.

"Wh-why? Why would someone try to kill Kíli, he's just a child!"

"It's not our place to speculate." Daisy murmured sadly.

Dozens of scenarios, each as disturbing as the next, sprung from Bilbo's imagination as he tried to wrap his head around the idea that someone had intentionally smashed his little Kíli on the head and dropped him into the river to die.

"Doesn't bear thinking about, does it?" Adalgrim sighed, and Bilbo shook his head.

He remained quiet all through dinner, haunted by the knowledge that an unknown foe had tried to dispose of the laughing boy across the table. Luckily, Daisy was not quite so tongue tied, and as Kíli ate with the table manners of any hobbit child she looked on with pride.

"What was all this I was hearing about some half-witted fools giving you grief up in the market the other day Kíli?" she asked in a fuss as she dished him up an extra helping of mashed potatoes.

The dwarfling blushed. "They…um…"

"They'll come around." Daisy smiled.

"Do you think so?" Kíli looked up at her hopefully and the hobbit woman laughed.

"I _know_ so, Kíli."

Though Daisy was right, it almost took a tragedy for the residents of Hobbiton to trust Kíli.

When Bell Goodchild, Rosa's older sister was to be thrown an enormous party for her twenty eighth birthday, the party was shaping up to be the biggest event of the year as it coincided with Midsummer's Eve and her engagement to Hamfast Gamgee.

Days before the party, Rosa gave her mother an ultimatum when she found Kíli and Bilbo were not among the three hundred odd guests, but when they _were_ invited, the child became furious upon discovering that her parents had no plans on getting presents for the dwarf.

Even after her older sister sorted everything out, Rosa was still fuming, and by the time the party was in full swing she had had another fight with her mother, climbed to the top of a nearby tree and was refusing to come down.

Kíli was the one to climb up to her, partly because he was the only one she did not throw a stick at when he tried.

"Rosa? What's wrong?"

"Pride and prejudice." She muttered bitterly, folding her arms with a pout.

Saddened but a little warmed that sympathy for him caused his friend pain, Kíli smiled. "Come and dance, Rosa. It's a party, have some fun!"

"No!" she pouted, shaking her head with a dramatic humph.

Kíli's smile deepened. He had come to know the little group pretty well, and he could read the ten year old girl like a book. "Come down and play with us, please."

"No…"

"Please?" Kíli wheedled, knowing that in a matter of seconds he would get his way.

"Well-"

_Bang! _

The two children squealed in delight as fireworks burst across the horizon and they clapped enthusiastically.

They were no fireworks of Gandalf's, but neither child had any knowledge of the wizard's existence, so it mattered little to them. They just laughed at whooped as the bright lights illuminated night sky.

"Look out!" someone screamed suddenly, and the whizzing of a newly lit firework had the party diving for cover.

Kíli and Rosa screamed as the rocket smashed into the base of the tree, the explosion thrusting flames up to the branches beneath them.

Suddenly everyone was screaming, and assigning blame to some clumsy idiot named Ferdinand, and the world erupted in chaos.

As Rosa wailed for her mother, only one name came from Kíli's lips.

_"Bilbo!" _

The young hobbit in question was staring up in utter terror. "Kíli… Just hold on! No, no, Kíli hold on!"

"Bilbo, help us!" Kíli felt terror seizing his heart as the flames leapt closer, and he clutched at Rosa's arm.

He could hear the screams and cries of the other hobbits, but suddenly he could not hear Bilbo, and he squinted down through the fire below him desperately.

"Bilbo? Bilbo, don't leave me, please! Bilbo, where are you, please?" his heart beat so hard and so fast that he thought it would burst free of his chest, and he realised that the thought of Bilbo leaving him was just as terrifying as the thought of burning to death.

"Kíli!" Rosa squealed, clutching at him. "What do we do?"

The dwarfling let out a pitiful mixture of a wail and a scream and held onto her arm tightly.

"Kíli, what do we do?" the girl repeated, and a loud cracking sound broke into his consciousness.

Kíli gasped in horror and his entire body froze.

Rosa tugged on his shirt with a wail. "The branch is breaking, what do we do?"

What he _wanted_ to do was to cry until someone came and saved him, but that just would not do. A voice swam into Kíli's head, a voice he did not recognise but a deep voice that sounded strangely… familiar.

_Be brave, Kíli, take a leap of faith. _

The flames began to lick at their feet and Kíli looked at Rosa and swallowed. "We jump."

"We _what_?" Rosa shrieked, clutching Kíli's tunic desperately.

"Hold onto me." Kíli ordered, wrapping her arms around his neck and wrapped his legs around hers so that he would not land on them. "Hold on tight."

The strange voice returned. _That's my little prince. _

Rosa sobbed, and Kíli took a deep breath. Then he kicked back and launched away from the tree, falling backwards through the air and smashing onto the ground below on his back.

An incredible agony exploded across his back, arms and legs as quickly and violently as the fireworks and he closed his eyes against the pain.

He felt Rosa push up off of him with a frightened whisper. "Kíli?"

Moaning softly in response, Kíli twitched. He could hear Rosa's mother wailing and the shocked and frightened murmurs of the watching hobbits, but once again a single voice pierced his conscience.

"Get out of the way; get out of my _way_, Kíli, _Kíli!" _

Forcing his eyes to open, Kíli looked up at Bilbo's terrified face. "B…Bilbo…"

"Oh, Kíli…" Bilbo looked as if he were about to be sick. "Are you alright, are you hurt?"

"Yes…" Kíli whimpered tearfully. "Hurts…"

"Help, Daisy, somebody!" Bilbo cried, grabbing Kíli's hand gently.

"Rosa?" Kíli murmured, wincing. "She…alright?"

"I'm fine, Kíli, I had a soft landing." The little girl murmured from a safe position in her mother's arms.

Daisy Took was over in a second, and soon Kíli was surrounded by healers and being carried back to Bag End. The only thing he could concentrate on, however, were the mutters of the witnesses.

"Did you see that?"

"He saved her life…"

"…put himself in danger…"

"Saved her life!"

"…thank goodness…."

"Saved her life!"

Kíli smiled softly, leaning against Bilbo's chest as he was carried back home. For a few hours he was surrounded by healers and nosy hobbits, but finally they left him in peace.

Kíli yawned as Bilbo tucked him into bed.

"Well that's quite enough excitement for a decade or two, don't you think?"

Kíli giggled sleepily, snuggling down under the covers.

"You scared me today, Kíli." Bilbo said quietly.

"I'm sorry." Kíli mumbled dutifully, blinking up at Bilbo innocently.

"You also made me very proud. You were very brave." Bilbo murmured genuinely.

"Really?" Kíli's eyes widened and Bilbo gave a quiet chuckle.

He could hear the smile on the hobbit's face. "Really. Goodnight, Kíli."

"G'night Bilbo." Kíli yawned, smiling contentedly as he slipped into a world of dreams.

Closing the door to Kíli's room, Bilbo shuddered.

Six months.

Kíli had been with him for six months, and already he was dearer to Bilbo than any of his numerous cousins. In just one awful moment, he had nearly lost his dwarf, his Kíli…

However, Kíli's selfless actions were recognised by everyone who had witnessed them, and the observers were quick to spread the word –

Kíli, the strange young dwarf living with Mr Bilbo Baggins, was now to be trusted and accepted by the Shirefolk.

It was that simple.

At first, Kíli was even more wary of the townsfolk when they began smiling at him and slipping him treats, but soon he started to revel in the attention, becoming as confident as Saradoc, Paladin and Esme. The four children would often be seen playing in and around the market, with or without a gang of other children, and the troublemakers were viewed as pesky but lovable rogues.

Running through green fields and up trees barefoot is not the usual life of a dwarfling, and many dwarf mothers would tut and say that it was unhealthy and risky to allow a child to live the peaceful and open life that Kíli led, but for more than ten years Kíli flourished in the Shire.

It was not until his twelfth year in Bag End that the cracks began to show…

**I hope you enjoyed that chapter :) **

**There will probably be one to two more chapters of the child Kíli story arch BUT I write with many a flashback, so even when the next part of the tale (cough cough quest cough cough) comes into play you will still have some child Kíli if that's cool with everyone ;)**

**In answer to some reviews, I do plan on explaining how Kíli arrived in the river (obviously) and we will see things from Fíli's perspective, but not just yet :P**

**I struggled a bit with Bilbo's character as I wanted to show him in that awkward I'm-not-an-adult-but-have-to-be-sometimes-even-tho ugh-other-times-I-run-around-like-a-five-year-old time of life but I worry I just made him seem bipolar. Is he in character? Do tell me so I can fix it if he's not :)**

**This story has had the best response ever to any of my little fics so I hope that was enough for you, and not too dramatic or anti-climactic….**


	4. Chapter 4: Growing Up

**I cannot believe how great the response to this story has been, thank you so, so much for all the reviews, follows and favourites! This is a quick update before my internet is turned off, so I've only proof read it once. Hopefully it's okay :)**

**Anyway, this is the last child:Kíli chapter and it moves a little quickly, so sorry if it feel rushed (I hope it doesn't) I just wanted to show Kíli growing up a bit plus a little foreshadowing. **

**I hope you like it. **

**Read. Enjoy. Review. **

**Chapter Four # Growing Up #**

It did not bother Kíli that he was a dwarf living among hobbits.

It did not bother Kíli that his friends did not like war games. It did not bother Kíli that he was the only child within a twelve mile radius who was so obsessed with archery. It did not bother Kíli that he looked different, especially his straight hair, rounded ears and small (occasionally booted) feet. It did not bother Kíli that he had to work extra hard to sneak up on people properly. It did not bother Kíli that he spent so much time up a tree or in a bush.

However, there was something that bothered Kíli greatly, or more appropriately two somethings.

Growing up and marriage.

As a dwarf, he aged slower than his hobbit friends. At first it was barely noticeable, and when Esme, Saradoc and Paladin began to grow out of their childhood games, he just adapted with them.

By the time the first decade had passed, however, Kíli still felt as though he was in his mid-tweens, but his friends all felt very differently.

Ten years after Kíli arrived in the Shire, Paladin got married to a hobbit lass named Eglantine Banks and had a little daughter called Pearl. Though it was a little strange for Kíli having his childhood friend grown-up enough to marry while he still felt like a child, Paladin had always seemed older than him, so he adapted fairly quickly and easily.

However, two years after _that, _something happened that he could not adapt to so easily.

A sixty eight year old Kíli scowled as he strung another arrow, firing at the target painted onto an old oak tree.

"Stupid…stupid…stupid!" he muttered angrily as he loosed arrow after arrow.

"Kíli?" The twinge of amusement in Bilbo's voice irritated the already annoyed Kíli further.

"What?" he snarled, without even bothering to look around.

"Don't take that tone with me." Bilbo scolded mildly.

"I'm sorry." Kíli grumbled.

"So you should be."

Kíli rolled his eyes and went to grab another arrow, but to his surprise, his quiver had vanished. Looking up, he saw Bilbo raising an eyebrow at him, quiver in hand.

"Can I have my quiver back? _Please?" _Kíli grimaced.

"Kíli, what's wrong?"

Kíli sighed, recognising that he would not be shooting anything until Bilbo had a satisfactory explanation. He flopped onto the floor and put his head in his hands.

"Everything's different now."

"You mean Saradoc and Esme-"

"Don't say it!" Kíli protested, and Bilbo laughed.

"You're acting like a child." The forty one year old hobbit sat down next to the young dwarf.

"Maybe that's because I still am!" Kíli yelled angrily, leaping to his feet, and Bilbo frowned, taken aback in the violence in Kíli's tone.

Then the hobbit stood up, crossing his arms. "How old are you, Kíli?"

"I don't know." Kíli replied scornfully. "I don't remember."

It was Bilbo's turn to roll his eyes. "Kíli Baggins…"

Kíli could not help the tiny little smile that crept across his cheeks at the mention of his full name. A few months after living at Bag End, the villagers had started to refer to him as Kíli Baggins, and soon even Bilbo was doing the same, but the sense of belonging that accompanied the name still warmed his heart each time he heard it over a decade later.

"There we go." Bilbo said triumphantly, noticing the very same smile.

"I just…I feel as though I'm being left behind again, Bilbo." Kíli admitted quietly, his head hanging down.

Bilbo's face fell. "Again?"

Kíli swallowed, looking at his guardian. "Whoever…whoever _they _were, my…my family, they never came…and…"

"Kíli, Esme and Saradoc are not going anywhere; they aren't going to leave you behind." Bilbo promised, looking pointedly at the target on the tree. "They're just growing up a little quicker is all."

"They're getting _married. _To _each other." _Kíli spat out the words as if they tasted like lemons and Bilbo laughed.

"Do you have any idea how afraid they were that you would react like this?"

"What do you mean?" Kíli frowned.

"They spoke to me yesterday, before they told you. They said that they were worried that you would feel awkward about it." Bilbo nodded knowingly and Kíli's stomach churned.

"They told you _before _they told me?" he managed to stammer, the uncontrollable feelings of abandonment and incongruity swelled in his chest.

Bilbo paused, seemingly aware that Kíli was so upset. "Kíli, didn't they ask you to be their Best Man?"

"Well, yes, but what does that have to do with anything?" Kíli frowned, turning to look at Bilbo whose eyes were bulging out of his head.

"What does it have to do with anything?" Bilbo cried. "I explained this to you last year, Kíli. For a hobbit couple with brothers between them – in this case Paladin Took _or _Barney Brandybuck – if they chose someone outside of their family to fulfil the role of Best Man, it ties them into their family all but legally. It's not just an honour, Kíli. They're both calling you their brother."

Kíli blinked at Bilbo, feeling a little dizzy. "Really?"

"Yes, really." Bilbo nodded in earnest. "They're still your best friends, Kíli, even if they're a little bit more grown up than you. And they're trying very hard _not _to leave you behind."

Kíli smiled wryly. "I suppose so…"

"Why is it stranger than Paladin and Eglantine having a baby _last year_?" Bilbo handed Kíli back his quiver.

Smiling and calmly stringing another arrow, Kíli shrugged. "Because Paladin was always older than me. In a way."

"No, the fact that you fell in love with baby Pearl the moment you saw her has nothing to do with it whatsoever." Bilbo rolled his eyes.

"Well, that too." Kíli grinned. Bilbo always knew how to make him feel better, whether he wanted to feel better or not, and the twanging of the bowstring was just as therapeutic for the young dwarf.

Kíli loved his bow. In the years he had spent in the Shire, Adalgrim had introduced Kíli to each and every one of the Took masters of archery, and he had become better than each and every one of them. His one connection to his past had become his greatest skill.

It had also become his greatest escape from life, the world and the universe, and the thing he retreated to whenever he was lost. He very rarely wanted solitude, but when he did his ever gentle guardian was more than happy to grant it to him.

"I'll see you at around dinnertime, I suppose?"

"You know me too well." Kíli all but felt the twinkle in his own eyes as Bilbo left him in peace.

By the time that he returned home, Kíli was back to his usual bouncy self, and Bilbo assumed that the young dwarf's insecurities had buried themselves once more. He had worries about Kíli potentially developing abandonment issues, but the young dwarf always seemed so happy that Bilbo could never dwell on it for long.

When the day came when Saradoc Brandybuck married Esmeralda Took, no one looked as proud of the young bride and groom as Kíli did. No one smiled as widely Kíli, no one danced as enthusiastically. No one laughed as joyfully as Kíli did, and no one was nearly as merry. Though it did initially cause some to wonder just how much Bilbo had let Kíli drink, the hobbit himself just assumed that Kíli had finally realised that no one was leaving him behind.

At least, he did until he was woken in the night by a heart wrenching scream.

_"They're going to kill me!" _

Bilbo leapt out of bed, the alcohol he had consumed spinning the world as he stumbled down the hall. "Kíli?"

A scream was his only reply, but when he burst clumsily into Kíli's room the attackers his ward was fighting were either invisible or imaginary, and even in his drunken state he was inclined to believe the later.

"Kíli, Kíli, it's alright!" he struggled not to slur his words, shaking Kíli's shoulders quickly to wake him from whatever nightmare grasped him so tightly.

Kíli's horror-filled brown eyes flew open and he gasped. "B-Bilbo, don't!"

"Don't what?" Bilbo frowned, and the terror began to ebb away from Kíli's eyes.

"You're not…you're not…oh!" Kíli whimpered, throwing himself into Bilbo's arms with a muffled sob.

Shock froze Bilbo momentarily at the desperate action. Kíli had not had a nightmare for over nine years, not one that had made him scream bloody murder, and he had not flung himself at Bilbo like that in over five years – though he claimed to still be a child he tried very hard to be tough and strong, his stubborn dwarven nature shining through his gentle upbringing. Bilbo was very insistent that Kíli remain in touch with his dwarven nature and did not try to become a hobbit. The boy had enough identity problems without worrying about his race as well.

"Kíli, what happened?" Bilbo whispered, fully aware that the dream must have more than just shaken his young companion.

"You were…you were trying to kill me." Kíli mumbled into Bilbo's shoulder and the hobbit froze.

"What?"

"You were…you wanted…you were going to stab me, you wanted me dead!" Kíli sobbed, and once again Bilbo was struck by how awful the dream must have been. "And you weren't alone, they _all_ wanted to kill me, no one wanted me!"

"No one is going to hurt you, Kíli." Bilbo promised, gently stroking Kíli's tangled brown hair.

"You can't promise that!" Kíli keened desperately. "You can't!"

"I can, and I will! No one is going to hurt you; and I could _certainly_ never hurt you, Kíli." Bilbo soothed. "I'm here."

"Of course you could hurt me!" Kíli sobbed, pushing Bilbo's arms away and scrambling across the bed.

Confused, Bilbo stared at Kíli's distraught face and the shadows that the moonlight cast upon it.

"I'm not family, Bilbo, I'm nothing to you!"

"Kíli?" Bilbo felt nauseous, but he did not think that it was the alcohol. "You _are _family, Kíli, you're…"

"I'm what, Bilbo?" The young dwarf demanded wildly. "I'm not your brother, not your son! I'm not even your cousin!"

Bilbo's intoxicated brain muddled his thoughts a little, but he could think clearly enough to decisively declare. "You are my Kíli. My dwarf."

"What?" Kíli half sobbed, confusion shining in his tear filled eyes.

"Your name is Kíli Baggins." Bilbo made his voice quiet but firm. "And you are my dwarf. There's not a conventional word to describe what all this is, because we're both very odd."

His attempt at a joke fell short as Kíli gave another muffled sob.

Regretfully, Bilbo soothed. "Don't cry, Kíli. You're more important to me than _any_ of my cousins. And if you want to be my 'son', you can be."

"Wh-what?" Kíli stammered in shock, tears streaming down his face.

Trying to keep his tone matter-of-fact, Bilbo babbled on. "I certainly love you enough. You can be my son if you want, on the condition that you still call me Bilbo. If you called me 'father' I would feel very old."

The sudden glimmer of hope in Kíli's eyes was washed away with a fresh set of tears. "How drunk are you, Bilbo?"

Not bothering to contest Kíli's accusation, Bilbo smiled. "I'm _sober_ enough to know what I am saying. I'll say exactly the same thing in the morning, you know."

Scrubbing the tears from his cheeks, Kíli relaxed a little. "Bilbo?"

"Yes?"

"Do you mean it, or are you just saying that to make me feel better?"

Bilbo laughed lightly at the suspicion shrouding Kíli's tone. "I mean it, I promise."

Suddenly the slightly drunk and very tired hobbit found himself being crushed in a huge bear hug from a shaking young dwarf.

"Whatever you dreamt, it wasn't real." He murmured, hugging Kíli back tightly.

Kíli mumbled something Bilbo could not hear into the hobbit's shoulder.

"What was that?"

"Felt real!" Kíli trembled as he replied, and Bilbo shifted slightly so that he could hug the young dwarf more tightly, while still being able to breathe.

"Well it wasn't!" He felt, more than saw, Kíli's nod, and he softened his tone. "What happened, Kíli, in your dream?"

Kíli swallowed. "Everyone was trying to kill me...You, Saradoc, the Tooks...and the dwarves, the ones I used to dream about, the ones in the sketchbook. The...the oldest one, the grown dwarf..." Pausing, Kíli shuddered. "He...he had a shield, a shield made of solid oak, and he was hitting me with it, over and over again..."

Bilbo froze, remembering Daisy's suspicions that the dwarfling had been attacked. Could the dwarf from Kíli's dreams be his attacker?

"There was...he had a name."

"A name?" Bilbo asked, a little surprised.

Kíli nodded. "I doubt it is really his name, if he even exists, but in the dream he was called Thorin, and he was my uncle."

Bilbo's head started to spin. He had never told Kíli that Daisy suspected that the wound was inflicted on purpose, but on the darkest nights in winters past he had wondered if Kíli's family had attacked him themselves. It would explain why no one had come.

"Bilbo?"

"Oh, yes?" Bilbo jumped.

"I'm sorry, Bilbo..."

"Whatever for?" Bilbo's sharpening mind began to rerun the evening in his head as he tried to think of a disaster that Kíli could have caused.

"For screaming." Kíli pulled away from Bilbo gently, his cheeks burning in shame. "I'm too old to be waking you up when I have a nightmare."

Bilbo shook his head. "I'm glad that you did. You're far too young to have an identity crisis."

Kíli gave a watery laugh. "Thank you, Bilbo."

"You're very, very welcome." Bilbo yawned. "But if I don't go to sleep now, I won't get up until tea time tomorrow."

Kíli laughed again. "Goodnight Bilbo, I love you."

"I love you, too."

And so it was that Kíli Baggins grew up in the Shire.

His life was peaceful and happy, though he regularly felt insecure and out of place. The lack of memory took its toll over the years and he grew increasingly restless, but the peace of the Shire was good for the young dwarf, and by the time he reached the age of seventy seven, he had decided exactly what he would do.

As soon as he turned eighty, he and Bilbo would travel north to the Blue Mountains to try and discover where he came from. He would maybe spend a little time with the dwarves, but then he would return to the Shire when Bilbo's homesickness grew too fierce, which he had very little doubt that it would.

He would also continue the work he had started in the smithy. Though Bilbo had assured him that he did not need to work, Kíli enjoyed the labour, and he was so naturally gifted that the hobbit smith masters occasionally came to him for advice.

Kíli decided that he and Bilbo would go on a few adventures every now and again, to explore and see the world in all its famed glory. As long as he had Bilbo, his friends and the Shire, the aching part of Kíli's soul yearning to know of his past was easily dealt with.

His name was Kíli Baggins, and the Shire was his home.

**Next chapter, we will meet the company :) I hope you didn't find that too rushed, I hope you liked it, I've written most of the next chapter so the update should be soon :) Also, I'm more pleased with the next chapter than I am with this one :)**


	5. Chapter 5: Forgotten Family

**Told you it would be quick! Once again, I was BLOWN AWAY by your amazing response to the last chapter, thank you so much! **

**I'm sorry but this chapter is really quite long, it was over 6000 words and I had to cut it but I didn't know what to cut so it was still really long, I hope it's not too long. This is the long awaited chapter where THE COMPANY ARRIVE! YAY!**

**As ever, sorry for any mistakes! **

**Read. Enjoy. Review. **

**Chapter Five # Forgotten Family #**

"...and I'd like three blocks of cheddar. Yes, yes those ones will do nicely, thank you."

"How's young Kíli, Mister Baggins?" Old Hobson Gamgee asked politely as he handed over his daughter's dairy produce.

"Very well, thank you." Bilbo replied with a wry smile. Kíli enjoyed talking to Hamfast's father as one of the select few adult hobbits who had accepted him before the firework incident, and the young dwarf's position as favourite babysitter for Hamfast's young children meant that he was close to three generations of Gamgee. "He's buying the meat at the moment but I'm sure he'll be over shortly."

Hobson chuckled deeply. "I'm not so sure..."

"What?" Bilbo turned to look where Hobson was looking and he sighed in exasperation.

Kíli was running through the meadow behind the market with a group of hobbit children of all ages - the eldest being twenty nine year old Lily Underhill and the youngest being little Pippin Took, Paladin's three year old son who was clinging gleefully to Kíli's back.

As Bilbo watched, his surrogate son wrestled gently with the group, before darting up into a game of chase, singing as he did so.

A strange sensation swooped over Bilbo as he watched.

Kíli was not a hobbit; he had never tried to be. He had a love of battle stories, archery and swordplay (though his swordsmanship skills were sadly lacking due to a lack of instruction) and he was getting the stubble of an early beard. His long hair was never cut - Bilbo knew enough of dwarven culture to know that it was an insult, so most days Kíli dragged his hair into a high ponytail to keep it out of his way.

However, Kíli was far from a conventional dwarf. He rarely wore shoes, only donning a pair of specially made boots when he and Bilbo made occasional trips to Bree or other places of more than two days walk. His clothes were hobbit enough to be odd for a dwarf, though he preferred dark colours and had a strange love of hoods. He was far gentler than any dwarf Bilbo had ever heard rumour of, even when he first arrived in the Shire, and though he loved to rough-house with his numerous friends he was constantly aware of his superior strength.

Bilbo had come to the conclusion that Kíli's biological family were dead. It was the kindest conclusion to come to, because the alternatives were that his family had not searched for him, or even tried to dispose of him themselves.

"Bilbo?"

The hobbit jumped, his dizzying wave of musings and nostalgia disturbed by Kíli's hand on his shoulder. He had barely noticed himself buying for all of his groceries but he must have done because his baskets and his arms were full and Kíli was standing in front of him, concern in his big brown eyes.

"Kíli! What's wrong?"

"Are you alright?" Kíli took the basket from Bilbo's hand automatically. "You look…strange…"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine!"

"There was no beef, but old Proudfoot said there should be some on Wednesday." The young dwarf continued.

"So you decided to run around like a child instead of buying pork instead?" Bilbo asked mildly as they left the marketplace.

"Esme asked me to watch Merry for her while she shopped and then Paladin asked if I'd take the girls and Pippin and Prim gave me Frodo and then Sam followed Frodo of _course _and it all snowballed from there." Kíli batted his best puppy dog eyes at Bilbo who shook his head.

"The day you stop playing with those children will be a very sad day indeed, for everyone involved."

Kíli grinned, knowing that he was forgiven for any annoyance he had caused his hobbit.

"Kíli, do you still want to go travelling when you come of age?"

Kíli's face fell into seriousness. "Well that depends. Would you still come with me?"

"If you want me to." Bilbo tried to keep his voice casual and Kíli scoffed, before speaking quietly.

"I don't want to go on my own." Kíli's desire to find his past and his family had not intensified or waned over time, instead remaining as a steadily burning fire in his heart, but Bilbo was too dear to him for him to be able to imagine leaving the hobbit for a group of dwarves he could not remember. "I've been thinking...what if they didn't want me? What if that's why no one came? What if there was no one in the first place?" Bilbo opened his mouth but Kíli continued. "I've decided that I'll look, and that I would love to know who my family where, but if I can't I'm more than happy to stay here with you. If you'll let me of course."

Bilbo shoved Kíli lightly with his shoulder. "Don't be a dunderhead, Kíli. You can stay with me as long as you want. After all, you're my legal heir."

Kíli grinned, putting his arm around Bilbo and lifting the hobbit clean off the floor.

"Ak! Kíli, put me down!"

Kíli laughed brightly and obeyed, taking the remaining groceries from Bilbo's arms and ran up the remainder of Bagshot Row and Bilbo shook his head. Kíli's common bursts of energy were usually a source of amusement, but now they only reminded Bilbo of how cooped up the energetic dwarf must feel, trapped in the Shire.

After living with Kíli for so long, Bilbo was starting to fear the day the dwarf chose to leave. Despite his earlier games in the market place, Kíli was all but an adult, and one who could defend themselves far better than most hobbits he knew.

If Kíli wanted to go, Bilbo was running out of reasons to justify him staying.

A short while later, Bilbo sat down on the little bench outside his house with his pipe, watching the world go by, and Kíli joined him as usual.

With a soft sigh, Kíli tilted his head back and closed his eyes, basking in the soft sun like a cat. Bilbo chuckled, sucking on his pipe as Kíli stretched.

"Bilbo?"

"Mmh?"

"Can I go hunting?" Kíli asked quietly, his eyes still closed.

"Of course," Bilbo nodded, though his eyebrows knitted into a frown. "Is something troubling you?"

"Nothing in particular. I just feel a little…" Kíli paused with a sigh. "Merry asked me why I am a dwarf when my father is a hobbit; it caught me off of my guard."

"I see." Bilbo mused. "What did you tell him?"

Kíli shook his head. "I told him that you had rescued me from the river when I was just a little dwarfling and that I had been adopted."

"So the truth?"

Kíli nodded. "Then he asked where my dwarf family was…It just…it just made me think."

Recognising Kíli's yearning for a little solitude, Bilbo smiled. "Be back before midnight. And do try not to terrorise poor Madam Proudfoot on the way past this time, you know that she's half bind."

"Thank you, Bilbo." A few minutes later as Kíli waved only half cheerfully and disappeared over the hill, Bilbo started to blow smoke rings, until he was rudely interrupted by a tall man in long, grey robes...

He frowned. "Can I help you?"

"That remains to be seen. I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure." The man announced regally.

Bilbo's stomach curled with anticipation, but then he thought of Kíli, and his lust for adventure. No, whoever this man was he could go elsewhere, Bilbo would not trust Kíli's life nor his own to a stranger, and one of the Big Folk at that. "An adventure? No, I don't imagine anyone west of Bree would have much interest in adventures. Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner."

Sensing that the man knew his excuses were largely weak and lacking conviction, Bilbo made a fuss of checking the mailbox, before turning his back on the man.

"Good morning."

"To think that I should have lived to be good morning'd by Belladonna Took's son, as if I were selling buttons at the door." The man rumbled, and Bilbo froze.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You've changed, and not entirely for the better, Bilbo Baggins."

Bilbo swallowed. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

The man sighed. "Well, you know my name, although you don't remember I belong to it. I'm Gandalf! And Gandalf means … me."

A flare of remembrance lit in Bilbo's heart. "Gandalf...not Gandalf, the wandering Wizard, who made such excellent fireworks! Old Took used to have them on Midsummer's Eve. Ha! Hmm, I had no idea you were still in business."

"And where else should I be?" the wizard asked, looking affronted.

"Ah, hmm..." Recognising his mistake, Bilbo put his pipe in his mouth. _Please, please be out of hearing distance, Kíli…_

"Well, I'm pleased to find your remember something about me, even if it's only my fireworks. That's decided, then. It will be very good for you, and most amusing for me. I shall inform the others."

Not missing a beat, Bilbo panicked. "Inform the who? What? No. No. No! Wait. We do not want any adventures here, thank you. Not today, not-. I suggest you try over the Hill or across the Water. Good morning."

Scurrying inside, Bilbo shut the door behind him, deciding that Kíli did not need to know about the wizard's visit. The young dwarf would undoubtedly want to follow the wizard on this…adventure…but Bilbo was too afraid of losing Kíli to risk it.

He worried all day, and the fact that he was only cooking for one did not help. Kíli always took food with him to hunt, and would probably eat when he returned, so Bilbo was left to stare at the still sizzling fish alone, in the silence of his house.

Until the doorbell rang.

Wondering if he had accidentally locked Kíli out, Bilbo walked up and opened the door, freezing shock at the dwarf – most certainly not _his _dwarf – that towered over him outside.

"Dwalin, at your service." The dwarf bowed.

"B-Bilbo Baggins, at yours!" Bilbo stammered, tying up his dressing gown.

As the dwarf proceeded to barge in and begin to eat his dinner, Bilbo tried not to quiver in fear. Had the dwarf come to take Kíli away? What was he doing here, who was the 'he' who said that there would be food? What would happen when Kíli returned?

His fears grew and grew with the number of dwarves entering his home, and by the time their company had reached ten in number, with the addition of the troublesome wizard, Bilbo was utterly terrified about what would happen when Kíli returned.

Would his surrogate son be angry, confused, happy, afraid? How would the dwarves react? What were they doing there anyway?

His Baggins side took over automatically, acting as a host making forced but polite conversation with his guests where possible such as –

"I hope that your journey here was peaceful?"

"Oh aye, laddie, a little too peaceful for my liking."

Or-

"Please don't wipe your boots on that, it's over a hundred years old!"

"Really? My apologises…"

Or even -

"Do all dwarves have rhyming names?"

"No, no, it's normally just family, - y'know, brothers and cousins, the like."

By the time they started to sing and throw his dishes around, Bilbo protested adamantly, throwing all of his fear for Kíli into fear for his dishes.

As they finished laughing after their merry little song, Bilbo grabbed his coat from the coat hook and put it on quickly as he spoke. "You will have to excuse me, I have to go."

"Go where?" Gandalf asked, his face displaying a mixture of amusement and confusion.

Bilbo cleared his throat, the presence of dwarf's making him more protective – and possessive - than usual. "I have to go and find my son."

"Your son?" Now the wizard looked nothing but shocked. "Forgive me, my dear Bilbo, I had no idea that you had a family."

"I don't." Bilbo replied shortly, looking around for a lamp.

_Why can't Kíli ever put things back where he finds them?_ He thought in frustration as he spoke different words aloud. "At least not in the sense you mean, it's simply me and him. He's adopted, and if he comes home to find a company of dwarves all over the place he will be-"

_ Knock, knock, knock. _

Bilbo groaned as he realised that his guests had not yet finished arriving, and Gandalf looked at the door.

"They are here."

"Who?" Bilbo moaned as he opened the door.

The moment he saw the two figures behind the door he staggered backwards in shock, which allowed the final two dwarves to stride in.

"Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thráin, son of Thror, King-In-Exile of Durin's folk, and his nephew and heir, Fíli, son of Dis."

Not even bothering to try to be courteous, Bilbo let his mouth hand open. "No…no…"

The dwarves you had already wiped out his kitchen looked as shocked as the wizard at his sudden lack of manners, but Bilbo could not care less.

_Do all dwarves have rhyming names?_

_No, no, it's normally just family - y'know, brothers and cousins, the like? _

_His name was Thorin...a shield of solid oak... Fee...I remember the name Fee...  
_  
Fee. Fee-lee. Fili. That rhymed with Kíli.

And the two dwarves now closing the door behind themselves looked uncannily like the sketches in Kíli's little book, and Thorin was both the name and the face of the dwarf that attacked Kíli in his dream.

"This is the hobbit?" Thorin raised an eyebrow at Bilbo sceptically.

"Yes, though he isn't usually this rude." Gandalf frowned, but Bilbo just shook his head.

"Tell me something, Thorin Oakenshield..." his quiet voice shook slightly, though he did not know if it were from fear or the anger that he felt bubbling in his stomach. "What does the name Kíli mean to you?"

Instantly the King-In-Exile stiffened and his kin began to mutter. The dwarf's voice was all but a growl. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said, that does the name Kíli mean to you." Bilbo stood up a little taller and spoke a little stronger. So they had heard of Kíli.

It was Fíli who spoke. "I had a little brother called Kíli. He died years ago, when we were but children..."

"Oh really? How did that happen?"

"You are prying into matters that are no concern of yours, hobbit." Thorin growled and Bilbo tried not to cower. "What did you tell this halfling, wizard?"

"Nothing of this matter, I can assure you. How _did_ you know, Bilbo?" Gandalf frowned.

Bilbo shut his eyes and shook his head. _I'm going to lose him… _"Was he a small child, for a dwarf? About fifty six years old, dark hair, dark eyes, carried a little wooden bow?"

"Yes..." Fíli whispered in a hollow voice, his previously calm countenance clouded with puzzled pain.

Bilbo turned to the chest just behind him and pulled out the little bow that Kíli had clutched when he was first found. Thorin snarled, shock anger and suspicion darkening his face and he stepped forward.

A shadow appeared at the window unnoticed by any but Bilbo, who felt his heart sink.

"Where did you get that?"

_ "He...he had a shield, a shield made of solid oak, and he was hitting me with it, over and over again..."_

_Bilbo froze, remembering Daisy's suspicions that the dwarfling had been attacked. Could the dwarf from Kíli's dreams be his attacker?_

_"There was...he had a name."_

_"A name?" Bilbo asked, a little surprised._

_Kíli nodded. "I doubt it is really his name, if he even exists, but in the dream he was called Thorin, and he was my uncle."_

Maybe Kíli's dream _had _been a memory. Bilbo retorted uncontrollably, two decades of pent up anger at the family that had abandoned his Kíli taking over his tongue. "Did you do it?"

"What?" Thorin all but roared, and Bilbo shouted back, fiery fury burning away all trace of reason.

"Did you hit him over the head with that ridiculous shield of yours and throw him into the river?"

He regretted the uncharacteristically rash words immediately when, to his horror, Thorin roared and lunged at him. Gandalf made to move himself, yelling the dwarf's name but before he could the door flew open and a blur raced across the room with an impassioned cry of "No!"

The hooded figure smashed a large stick into Thorin's head, sending the dwarf crashing to the floor. Bilbo gasped in shock as Fíli raced towards the hooded newcomer and tackled him to the floor with a yell, knife in hand, while the other dwarves searched for their weapons.

"No, Kíli, no!" He cried, terrified of his loyal but inexperienced young dwarf getting seriously hurt.

Kíli's hood fell from his face due to the struggle as Bilbo yelled, and he snarled viciously at the attacker that had wrestled him to the floor.

"Kíli?" Fíli whispered as recognition flooded his eyes, and Kíli smashed a fist into the blonde's nose.

While the blond was stunned Kíli scrambled out from underneath him and backed away towards Bilbo, reaching for the hobbit's wrist protectively, though Bilbo could feel the young dwarf's hand shaking.

"What's going on?" Kíli cried. "What are these...people...doing here?"

"I have absolutely no idea." Bilbo admitted shakily. "Ask the wizard?"

"Wizard?" Kíli looked up in shock.

"I am Gandalf the Grey." The wizard nodded curiously. "And you are?"

Kíli all but growled. "Kíli Baggins, this is my home. What are you doing here?"

The entire room burst into mutters and rumours of all volume levels and Kíli looked at Bilbo.

"Are you alright?"

Bilbo half laughed. "I'm fine."

"Why are there _dwarves _here?" Kíli directed his question at Gandalf, and the dwarf with the hat, Bofur if Bilbo remembered correctly, frowned.

"But you're a dwarf."

Kíli sent the older dwarf a scathing look, speaking with more venom than Bilbo knew was possible. "I know what I am, I'm not a simpleton."

"Kíli Baggins?" Fíli whispered, ignoring his bleeding nose, and Kíli looked at him properly for the first time.

Bilbo watched Kíli blink disbelievingly. "I...I've seen..." He shook his head, his eyes falling on the rising Thorin and he staggered backwards. "Impossible!"

"What is impossible?" Gandalf asked with confusion that Bilbo suspected to be at least partly feigned.

"They're...they're not real!" Kíli stammered, stepping closer to Bilbo in an unconscious plea for protection. "They're just...just dreams, this isn't...Bilbo?"

"You're alive!" Fíli laughed suddenly, an almost maniacal laugh that Bilbo would wager was not his usual chuckle. "Thorin, look at his _eyes_, it's him, it's Kíli, it's Kíli! He's alive!"

Thorin stared wordlessly at Kíli, shock evident across his whole face as he slowly shook his head.

Fíli took a step forward, freezing when Kíli flinched away. His face fell as if he had been told that the world was about to collapse. "You…you don't remember me, do you?"

Shaking his head, Kíli swallowed. "Bilbo who are these people, why did they attack you?"

"I might have provoked them a little – this is Thorin Oakenshield and his nephew Fíli." Bilbo murmured and Kíli froze.

"Thor-what? Fíli? Fee-li? Oh..." his eyes opened with wonder as he made the same links that Bilbo had. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

"Why are you here?" Thorin asked shakily.

"I live here." Kíli answered coldly. "Bilbo pulled me out of the river when I was a child; he took me in when no one came for me."

"Out of the Brandywine?" Thorin's eyes finally lit with belief and hope.

"Yes... Now answer my question."

"We came to recruit a burglar." The apparent leader of the company answered instantly.

Kíli laughed with a frown. "From the Shire?"

"Gandalf insisted that we have a halfling." Thorin glared at the wizard in question. "And he has suggested Mr Baggins."

"Chosen." Gandalf corrected, and Kíli's frown deepened.

"You won't catch Bilbo stealing anything! He's one of the most respectable hobbits in the whole Shire!"

Pride swelled in Bilbo's heart as his nephew defended him.

Fíli took another step forward, this time slowly. His voice was low and quiet, and he stared at Kíli with such intensity that Bilbo shuddered. "Twenty one years, three months and twelve days ago, I lost my little brother. They told me that he was dead. His name was Kíli."

Kíli's mouth fell open and he stared back at the golden haired dwarfling, who continued to talk.

"My brother had a little scar on his hand, a crescent moon shape right in the centre of his left palm, from where we duelled with these stupid pipes as children…" Fíli murmured, and Kíli automatically curled up his left hand to hide the white scar.

Bilbo swallowed, answering for his son. "Kíli has a scar."

"You don't remember me?" Fíli begged.

Kíli looked completely crushed as he shook his head and Bilbo squeezed his shaking hand. "I don't…I don't remember anything before waking up in the Shire, I-I never have! I've tried, oh I've _tried_ so hard to remember but… I used to dream of your face but I thought it was just a dream, I didn't…"

"When I pulled him out of the river he had a serious head wound." Bilbo informed the dwarves quietly. "We assumed that that was why he lost his memory. But there is one word you've always remembered."

Kíli's eyes fluttered to the floor. "Fee."

Fíli's mouth fell open and he looked like a hound being told to sit while a herd of deer dashed by. "That was what you called me. No one else ever does. Oh, Kíli, I thought you were dead!"

"Why?" Kíli croaked, his eyes settling a little fearfully on the still silent Thorin.

"I think this conversation would be better held on a full stomach for everyone involved." Gandalf hinted and Kíli nodded.

As the dwarves settled around the table, Kíli went into the pantry. "Hey!"

"What's wrong?" Bilbo called back, wondering what had injected more indignation than fear into Kíli's voice.

"Bilbo, did they ask for all of this? We have _nothing left!_" Kíli demanded, gesturing to the empty pantry and sending the trademark glare that sent any unwelcome hobbits running for the hills at the dwarves.

Having met Thorin, Bilbo could now see _exactly _where it came from. "Well, um..."

"It's rude to take food from a stranger without even asking."

"Kíli..." Bilbo warned mildly. "It's rude to insult your guests without knowing the full extent of the situation."

Kíli poked his head around the corner and pointed a carrot at Bilbo. "Leave me be, Bilbo, I'm a very confused young person who is trying to establish a sense of authority in his own home. And according to _you, _you did the exact same thing less than five minutes ago!"

"You're always a confused young person who is trying to establish a sense of authority in his own home, but usually you have manners." Bilbo quipped and Kíli rolled his eyes, disappearing back into the pantry.

Bilbo followed him, and was sadly unsurprised to see Kíli trying to steady himself with deep, shaking breaths.

"Oh, Kíli..." He breathed, knowing that the muttering dwarves could not hear him.

"I'm so confused..." Kíli whispered. "I remember their faces, from my dreams, from my _nightmares! _I feel angry and afraid and happy and hopeful all at the same time and just so confused!"

Bilbo nodded. "Shall we hear what they have to say?"

Kíli nodded, whipping around to hug Bilbo tightly. "I love you, Bilbo."

"I love you too." Bilbo whispered back and Kíli pulled away with a watery smile.

"Who hasn't eaten?"

"Thorin and Fíli, they just arrived."

"Got it." After slapping together two sandwiches with the meagre supplies left to him and delivering them to 'his' uncle and brother, Kíli took a carrot in one hand and a scone from his secret stash in the other and joined Bilbo standing at the head of the table, his presence bringing a sudden hush. He blushed.

Thorin cleared his throat. "It was your birthday. You...you asked us if we would take you exploring, your mother, Dwalin, Balin and I. You said that it was high time you and Fíli saw the world; I was so amused that I had to agree. We travelled from our home in Ered Luin to a colony in Lake Evendim, where we had several relations living at the time, including Óin and Glóin. While we were there, however, there was a ferocious storm and a band of orcs came down from the hills and attacked the settlement. I had to make a decision; you and your brother were too young to defend yourselves and they were burning all of the houses, so I gave you to Fíli and told you both to run. I planned on following, keeping them away from you but I fell behind. It was the worst mistake I ever made…"

Fíli took over the narrative, his eyes closed and his face pinched with what was undoubtedly a painful memory. "We ran down towards the lake, we'd been playing in the caves earlier that day, I thought we could hide. The goblins followed us, you tripped...They…"

Thorin took a deep breath, and his voice hardened. "They ripped you out of your brother's arms, smashed their filthy hammers into your head and tossed you into the lake. We slaughtered each and every one of them, but though we searched, we couldn't find you anywhere. We walked for days, but then we received word that a child had been pulled, dead from the river and buried, halfway to the Shire. Fíli grew ill, the winter was too harsh to continue searching with so many signs that you were dead…"

"We gave up." Fíli looked up at Kíli with shame burning in his eyes. "We just gave up."

"It's alright." Kíli replied quietly, looking up at Fíli with a little smile. "It was hard at first, when I didn't know who I was or where I came from, but it's alright now. When no one came and Bilbo brought me back here...I've always been happy here, I _am_ happy here."

"What purpose did you have taking in a dwarf?" Dwalin's tone was suspicious and automatically Kíli tensed, shifting a little further towards Bilbo. "I thought halflings held little trust for our folk?"

"Apparently the feeling is mutual." Bilbo muttered. "He was a child, and we were both alone. I needed no reason other than that, and the fact that I was already rather fond of him."

Kíli's sharp ears picked up Dwalin's mutter to Bifur about folk forcing innocent dwarf children into servitude and he threw the last bit of his carrot at the startled dwarf angrily. "You have no idea what Bilbo sacrificed bringing me here! For weeks, his family and friends were too afraid and ashamed of him and of me to come within five yards of Bag End! He spent years, years defending me from all sorts of things - maybe not orcs and wargs and goblins but gossips and rotten fruit and suspicious mothers. He took me in when I had nothing and no one, he named me his heir and he has asked nothing in return! Frankly, for as long as you scorn Bilbo I don't care who you are, only that you stay out of my way. He may not be the only family I have ever had, but Bilbo Baggins is the only family I know!"

Once again Kíli stunned the company to silence, until the offensive dwarf cleared his throat. "My sincerest apologies to the both of you. I didn't understand. And if it ever will mean anything to you, laddie, my name is Dwalin, and I'm your cousin, several times removed."

Kíli's stony face split into a more familiar grin. "Pleased to meet you, Dwalin."

The older dwarf smiled back, allowing the young dwarf at the far end of the table to speak a little timidly.

"You really don't remember anything?"

"No..." Kíli admitted shyly. "My first memories are of waking up to Bilbo telling me everything was going to be alright."

"This was a very unexpected twist indeed." Gandalf looked very pleased with himself. "But not altogether a bad one at all. I think that our hosts now have twice the right to hear our purpose, Thorin?"

Thorin nodded, turning to Kíli (and to a lesser extent Bilbo) as an old map was placed on the table. "What do you know of Erebor?"

Kíli frowned. "The Lonely Mountain? Wasn't it a great dwarven kingdom that fell to a dragon near two hundred years ago?"

"Indeed." Thorin looked pleased that Kíli knew, even more so when the young dwarf added that –

"I think the king's name was Thrór?"

"It was." Thorin nodded. "He was your grandfather."

"Oh." Kíli nodded, and then the words sank in as he took a sip of ale which he promptly choked on. "What?!"

"I am Thorin, son of Thráin, son of Thrór, King-In-Exile of Durin's folk, and you and your older brother are my heirs."

Kíli went very pale. "Heirs as in..."

"Princes. When we reclaim the mountain from Smaug." Fíli confirmed and Kíli looked horrified.

"I can't be a prince!"

"Why ever not?" Gandalf was the first to verbalise everyone's question.

"I spend half my time causing trouble and the rest of it making sure that no one gets actually hurt!" Kíli cried, and Bilbo laughed at the truthfulness of his statement, and to his surprise, Thorin also gave a little chuckle.

"You were much like that as a child. You were forever sneaking up on people, pulling pranks and teasing just about every soul you could find, but always lingering to wipe away any tears or hurt you had caused."

"We are most definitely talking about the same child." Bilbo smiled wryly. "Except he was well behind everyone else on the sneaking side until about twelve years ago."

"Hobbits are exceptionally sneaky." Kíli shrugged, unaffected as ever by the physical differences between him and his 'family' and friends in the Shire. "So you said 'after we reclaim it'. Is that what you are doing?"

"Yes." Thorin nodded.

Kíli raised his eyebrows. "From a dragon? With...twelve dwarves, and a hobbit?"

A red headed dwarf with a handsome beard replied. "Óin, my brother here, has read the portents and the portents say it is time. And I am Glóin, another distant cousin of yours."

The grey haired dwarf next to him nodded. "Ravens have been seen returning to the mountain, as it was foretold. When the birds of yore return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end."

"I see." Kíli nodded thoughtfully.

"And we may be few in number, but we're fighters. All of us, to the last dwarf!" The blond Fíli, who Kíli was still struggling to think of as brother, grinned fiercely.

"I suppose you also have a wizard in your company." Kíli nodded, looking back at the grey clad figure in question. "Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that!" Gandalf coughed.

"How many then?" Asked a dwarf with intricate braids.

"What?"

"How many dragons have you killed?" From Gandalf's reaction, Kíli guessed that his previous assumption was wrong - in fact he doubted if Gandalf had ever seen a dragon. The company, apparently, did not see it this way, and an immense argument began.

"Shazara!" Thorin yelled, and the arguing company quieted. "If we have read these signs, do you not think others have read them to? Eyes look east to the mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people lies unprotected, do you sit back while we let others claim what is rightfully ours, or do we seize this chance to _take back Erebor!_ Du bekar!"

Balin sighed. "You forget the Front Gate is sealed! There is no way into the mountain."

Gandalf grinned, pulling a key out from his sleeve. "That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true."

Thorin took the key, awe in his eyes. "How came you by this?

"It was given to me by your father, Thráin. For safekeeping. It is yours now." Gandalf clapped his hands together. "Now, the task I have in mind requires a great deal of stealth, and no small supply of courage."

"That's why we need a burglar." The youngest dwarf informed Kíli shyly.

"Other than me." The starry haired dwarf to the younger one's right snorted. "Apparently, though, I'm not up to the task. Nori, at your service Master Kíli, and these are my brothers Ori and Dori. The rest of 'em are Bifur-" the axe ridden dwarf nodded strongly at Kíli "Bofur-"

"'s good to meet ya both." Bofur grinned at both Kíli and Bilbo.

"And Bombur." a large dwarf at the end of the table waved.

Kíli nodded, taking in the strange names.

"We know all about your burglary skills, thief." Dwalin growled and Nori waved it off.

_They have issues…_Kíli mused, though aloud he said instead - "So you think Bilbo would be a good burglar?"

"Yes." Gandalf replied shortly, and Bilbo let out a sound that was half a whimper and half a groan.

"I suppose you're right." Kíli mused, sending a cheeky grin at his 'father'.

Thorin nodded at Kíli's response and leant over to speak to Balin in low Khuzdul that Kíli could not understand a word of. Fíli interjected, speaking passionately in the same tongue. Thorin nodded with an unreadable expression and turned to the two Baggins.

"We have a proposition for you, Kíli. We would like you to join this company – with or without Bilbo Baggins. It is entirely your choice."

**Sorry if that's a bit of a lame ending, like I said I had to cut some off of the end :(**

**A note about angry Bilbo – living with Kíli means he hasn't grown up the same way he did in the book/film, and he's very protective over his dwarf. I hope it wasn't too much :S **

**Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! **


	6. Chapter 6: Remember Me Not

**Okay, I know I say it every chapter but you are all AMAZING! Wow, 64 reviews for five chapters! It's literally unbelievable :) Thanks sooo much, I'm glad you all like it. Also, 99 AMAZING FOLLOWERS? I love you ****_ALL! _**

**Anyway, sorry about the wait, I wanted to get more into this chapter than I could but hey-ho. It just means that the next chapter will be up sooner rather than later if all goes well. **

**This is the first insight into Fíli's perspective, I hope you like! **

**Read. Enjoy. Review. **

**Chapter Six # Remember Me Not # **

Fíli could not believe it.

Kíli, his little brother, was alive. Kíli was alive, alive, and he had been living in the Shire, of all places, for over two decades!

The emotions drowning Fíli were so powerful that he had to keep reminding himself to breathe. Relief, sweet, beautiful relief and joy at finding out that Kíli was not only alive but happy were mixed with fresh pain mingled with the memories of losing him, and the shear agony that had spasmed through him when it became clear that Kíli had no recollection of him. Excitement at the prospect of sending word to his mother made itself known, as did crippling fear Kíli would want to stay here in the safety of the Shire rather than accompany his kin to the Lonely Mountain.

_"He may not be the only family I have ever had, but Bilbo Baggins is the only family I know!" _

Kíli's fierce words to Dwalin only made Fíli feel worse, though he doubted that was his brother's intention. As he tried very hard not to try and eavesdrop on the conversation Kíli was holding in the pantry with the hobbit, Fíli ran a hand over his face, wishing that he could just run outside to get some air.

Kíli had to come with them, he just had to. Fíli did not care if the hobbit was there or not – no, that was a lie. If Kíli would be happier with the hobbit around, then they _both _had to come. Fíli could not leave Kíli behind again.

Hiding the shudder that tried to creep down his spine, Fíli took a swig of ale as his regular nightmare flashed before his eyes.

_He was running so fast, as fast as he could. He had to make it to the caves, if he fell behind…_

_Well, it did not bear thinking about. _

_"Fee!" a terrified scream caught his attention and he whirled around to see his baby brother face down on the floor. "Fíli, help me!" _

_Without thinking, Fíli ran back and grabbed Kíli's hands, wrenching his brother up onto his feet. "Come on!" _

_As they fled the advancing goblins, Kíli let out another strangled scream and clutched at Fíli's hand. _

_"Don't look back!" the older dwarfling ordered, pulling his brother closer towards himself. "Just keep running!" _

_Glancing over his own shoulder, Fíli saw Uncle Thorin up at the top of the hill, fighting his way towards them and he felt relief swell in his chest. Uncle Thorin would not let anything happen to them. _

_Suddenly he was dragged backwards by his hair and Fíli screamed. _

_"Kíli, run!" _

_Of course, Kíli did no such thing. Instead, he whirled around, and with a wail that could wake the dead he clutched his brother's arms, desperately trying to tug him out of the orc's iron grip. _

_With renewed ferocity, Fíli struggled out of his attackers hold and grabbed his little brother, pulling him into a tight hug as the orcs swarmed around them. _

_"I've got you!" he whimpered, terrified, as the filthy creatures cackled down at him._

_Kíli just whimpered in response, pulling Fíli closer. _

_"…not that one, the runt! Yeah, that one!" an orc snarled, and suddenly there were hands everywhere, prying the two brothers apart. _

_"No, no, Kíli!" Fíli yelled, tightening his hold on his brother. _

_Kíli howled as the orcs tore him away. "Fee!" _

_Instantly Fíli felt Kíli's absence in his soul as well as his arms, as if his young heart already knew that he was about to lose his brother forever. _

_He watched in growing horror as the orcs sent gloating smiles at the advancing dwarves and then smashed a hammer into Kíli's head. _

_"No!" Fíli was certain that his own heart had stopped beating as Kíli fell against the floor, lifeless. "No, Kíli, please! Help, help us, please help! Kee, Kíli!" _

_An orc kicked Kíli's little body into the tempestuous lake and Fíli watched in horror as the water folded over Kíli's head. _

_Battle cries reached his ears as Thorin and the others reached them, but blind panic took over Fíli and he began to crawl through the battle field to the lake's edge. It was only due to the number of times he was kicked by pure accident that Fíli did not reach the water's edge before the battle ended, and as he tried to dive into the water after his brother, strong arms wrapped around his waist. _

_"No!" he struggled desperately. _

_"Fíli, stop!" Thorin's pained voice ordered, but Fíli shook his head. _

_"You have to let me go to him, Thorin, Kíli's in there-"_

_"No one could swim in that, Fíli." Thorin's hollow tone anesthetized Fíli's struggles._

_"No…" he whispered. "No, no, no!" _

_"Kíli, I'm so sorry." Thorin whispered, and the next thing the dwarfling knew he was engulfed in a crushing embrace from his uncle and he realised the truth. _

_No dwarf could swim in that lake, even if they could see Kíli they could not save him. He was not dead, Fíli would not believe that, but he was lost…_

_Kíli was lost…_

Shaking away the horrible memory he was subjected to reliving every few months, Fíli sighed and started to tap his fingers on the table, until the hobbit reappeared in the doorway with his brother.

Shuffling uncomfortably at the number of people staring at him, Kíli cleared his throat. "We will come with you, if we may have a day to set things in order before we go."

Thorin inclined his head politely, and Fíli guessed that only Dwalin, Balin and possibly Óin could see the joy in his uncle's eyes as he replied. "That can easily be arranged. Some of the company have travelled many leagues, I am sure that they would appreciate the rest."

Joy blossomed in Fíli's heart uncontrollably as Kíli gave a small smile.

"Balin," Thorin continued, "I believe our contract needs some adjustments."

Balin's eyes sparkled as he nodded. "I'll get right to it, laddie."

The hobbit insisted on reading the terms and conditions before he signed the contract and Fíli was amused to see Kíli rolling his eyes at Bilbo's fussiness.

Shortly after the contract was signed, Thorin stood up to council with Dwalin and Balin, sending a meaningful look at Fíli that was read by the entire company, who all began to chatter with forced nonchalance, dispersing about the house, until only Fíli remained at the table. Apparently the wizard was also on their side, taking Bilbo aside to talk to him, leaving Fíli and Kíli alone in the dining room.

Fíli stayed at the table alone, impossible ecstasy filling his heart when a certain dark haired dwarf sat down opposite him.

"So... you are my brother?"

Trying to read Kíli's measured tone, Fíli replied with a fond smile. "Yes, I am."

Kíli nodded, pausing for a moment. "And Thorin is my uncle, and the rightful King of Erebor?"

"Yes. Our mother, Dís, is his little sister." Fíli explained with pride.

"I see…" Kíli nodded slowly, before biting his lip. "What did Bilbo say? To make Thorin attack him?"

"I think my – our – uncle snapped when Bilbo asked him if _he _had beat you." Fíli recounted Bilbo's words and Kíli's eyes lit with understanding.

"Ah...I wondered if he had remembered." The dark haired dwarf murmured.

"Remembered what?" Fíli asked curiously, before wondering if he should have asked when his brother's eyes darkened.

"When I was young, when I first came to live here, I used to get nightmares, horrible ones. I would wake up screaming but I would never know why...I never did remember what I dreamed of. They went away after about two years, the nightmares, until one occasion that would have been..." Kíli looked up at the ceiling as he counted backwards, avoiding Fíli's gaze. "Eight years ago, now. I had a horrible nightmare, and for the first time in years I woke up screaming...It was the first nightmare I ever remembered, so I told Bilbo what happened..."

"What did happen?" Fíli murmured when the dark haired dwarf trailed off.

"I dreamt that a dwarf – Thorin – was striking me with a wooden shield over and over." Kíli said quietly. "I had never remembered his name before. "

Bilbo's hostile reaction to their arrival suddenly made sense to Fíli, and he murmured quietly. "That isn't what happened, I swear to you. I was there."

Kíli nodded absently, studying his brother with a curious gaze. "You're older?"

"Yes, I am." Fíli smiled back. "Five years older."

"Were…were we close?" Kíli asked in a small voice, and Fíli's heart broke.

He had lost _his _Kíli. Whether or not his brother's body still housed life, he had lost the dwarfling he sang to sleep, he had lost the brother that ran to him for anything and everything, he had lost his very best friend.

This Kíli Baggins was a stranger, and that cut Fíli deeply.

How could he tell this stranger how close they had been? Where would he find the words to describe their lost inseparability?

He did not even realise that he had closed his eyes. "We were close."

"I'm sorry…" Kíli murmured, regretfully. "I wish I could remember more…"

Fíli gave a sad smile. "Me too. Though I am very glad that you decided to join the company."

"Really?" Kíli's face broke into a friendly smile.

"I suppose the words 'very glad' are not truly sufficient…" Fíli mused. "'Unbelievably elated' is a little more accurate."

"I'm glad that you think so. Though I have to warn you, if Bilbo had not decided to come I would have remained here." Kíli's tone was so light, yet so serious at the same time. "I mean you no offense, I certainly don't want to hurt anyone, but I couldn't leave Bilbo behind for…"

As the younger dwarf's eyes flickered to the table and his cheeks burnt, Fíli finished the sentence.

"For strangers."

Kíli looked up, pained. "I shouldn't have said that, I didn't mean-"

"I understand." Fíli nodded with a comforting smile, though his brother's words hurt.

"Also, I'm a little worried that I'll be a hindrance." Kíli chewed on his lip nervously. "I don't know how to use a sword or an axe…I know only how to shoot."

Fíli grinned. "You're still shooting?"

"I am. I'm the best archer in the Shire." A familiar hint of cheeky pride pushed away Kíli's bashfulness.

"That's amazing." Fíli smiled genuinely. "And don't worry about being a hindrance, if the wizard thinks that Bilbo will be alright _you_ will be fine. You both will be."

Kíli hesitated, before speaking with timid softness. "Maybe, if you had a little time, could you teach me a little sword work?"

Fili laughed. "Kíli, I will _make_ time to teach you if you'd like it."

"Really?" Kíli's face broke into a wide grin "I would _love _that!"

"That's settled, then." Fíli declared, encouraged by his brother's smile. His voice dissolved into a wistful whisper that he did not mean to say aloud. "I've missed you so much..." Kíli glanced down at the table and Fíli swallowed. "I'm sorry-"

"You haven't done anything wrong." Kíli smiled sadly. "I'm the one who can't remember."

"That's not your fault." Fíli protested, and Kíli hesitated.

"Can I show you something?"

"Of course!"

Kíli stood up with a shy smile. "Follow me."

Fíli followed Kíli down the hall, noting the way his brother watched the dwarves with wary eyes, and the way he relaxed on seeing Bilbo talking quietly to the wizard.

"In here." Kíli offered, and Fíli instantly realised where he must be.

"Is this your room?"

His brother looked up from the search he had started. "What? Oh, yes, it is."

Fíli looked around, taking in the simplistic design of the room and the numerous possessions scattered about the place. When Kíli noticed, he blushed fiercely, kicking some of the knick-knacks under the bed.

"Sorry, it's a bit of a mess. I'm not particularly tidy..."

"You never were..." Fíli murmured without thinking, remembering little wooden toys biting his feet as he attempted to cross their bedroom floor.

Kíli paused for a moment, before bringing over a large, leather bound book. "I told you about my nightmares, but when I was small I also had dreams of faces... Three faces. But I didn't know if they were imaginary or memories. Anyway, my friend Esme and I, we used to spend hours and hours where I would describe the faces and she would draw them. It was the only thing that could keep us still for more than five minutes..."

Fíli took the book from his brother with a soft gasp. Staring out at him was his own face, his face as it had been the day before Kíli had been snatched away, the day before his eyes had grown dark. The incredible detail and life-like quality of the sketch was repeated in the neighbouring sketch of Thorin, and of their mother.

"These are amazing..." Kíli just smiled, and Fíli swallowed, pointing at D_i_s. "Do you know who this is?"

When Kíli should his head, he gave his brother an encouraging smile.

"It's our mother. Her name is Dis."

Kíli smiled at the portrait softly, his grin strengthening as Fíli turned the page.

Four laughing children waved up at Fíli, their arms all over each other's shoulders.

"Those are my best friends, Saradoc, Paladin and Esme, and that's me of course. They're all married now, Saradoc and Esme to each other but this was drawn by Saradoc's older brother about a week or so after I came to Bag End, so three weeks after Bilbo found me."

Fíli's chest tightened at the sketch of Kíli's laughing face.

Three after Kíli's disappearance, _Fíli's_ eyes had been sunken and dark, and his smile had faded out of existence. There was no evidence of grief in the sketch, and a deeply buried seed of selfishness in Fíli's chest screamed in agony that Kíli had lived so happily without him whilst he had suffered every day since the river had taken his baby brother away.

Shaking away the destructive emotion, Fíli turned the page.

Once again his brother's young face beamed at him, the girl from the other page clinging to his back with her head resting on his shoulder so that their cheeks touched. "You were close to her...Esme?"

"I still am." Kíli grinned. "This is a copy of a painting her mother did for Paladin's birthday. He's Esme's brother."

The next page gave Fíli quite a shock.

While the last few sketches had been gently water coloured at the most, the next page was aflame with vibrant, almost violent colour. The peaceful scenes of the page before were also in contrast with the next picture. Kíli's image was frozen in its fall to the floor, a small girl attached to his front. A flaming tree stretched up behind him and a vague crowd were gathered around it. The intense detail of Kíli's terrified yet determined face drew all of Fíli's attention to his brother's expression.

"What is this?" He asked with wide eyes.

"There was an accident at a birthday party, I was trying to coax a girl named Rosa down from a tree and it caught on fire, so I grabbed her and jumped out. After that most of the Shire stopped hating me." When his brother offered no further explanation Fíli turned the page again, this time smiling a little himself.

Noting Fíli's expression, Kíli smiled. "We didn't know that this had been sketched until afterwards."

A slight younger yet unmistakeable Bilbo Baggins was dozing in an armchair, his head resting on Kíli's. The dwarfling was curled up in Bilbo's lap, his hand still holding onto Bilbo's dressing gown even in sleep.

The picture - no, the picture_s_, screamed peace and happiness, and as Fíli and Kíli worked slowly through the giant book, Fíli realised just how sheltered his brother's life had been, and just how careful they would need to be to ensure that that he would not get hurt again. Moments later, all thoughts for the road of head abandoned his mind to hide from the overwhelming craving to know all that he could about his brother's past.

It was more than interest; with each of Kíli's hilarious, tragic and downright strange stories Fíli learnt more and more about his brother's life, and with each laugh and sigh they shared the awkwardness ebbed away.

The final picture of the album, Kíli explained, depicted the individual faces of what he now referred to as his family - Kíli and Bilbo, Paladin and his wife, daughters and little son Pippin, Saradoc, Esme and the mischievous looking Merry, Adalgrim and Daisy and Drogo and Primula Baggins with their son Frodo.

"...but you're closest with Esme, Saradoc and Paladin?" Fíli clarified, and Kíli nodded fondly, before blurting out.

"What about you? Where do you live? What's it like there, what do you like?"

Fíli laughed at the sudden babble of questions and answered every one, describing his childhood home and then his humble little dwelling by the forge where he lived now. Most of his childhood stories involved Kíli himself - losing his brother had in many ways ended his childhood – but he told Kíli all he could think of, describing his mother, their uncle, their friends, his day to day life…

They spoke until their voices began to croak, and a low hum met Fíli's ears.

He grabbed Kíli's wrist without even thinking about it, putting a finger to his lips. "You will want to hear this."

As his brother followed in obedient silence, Fíli gently pushed him into the doorway of Bilbo's living room at the same time as Thorin started to sing the familiar song of home and hope.

_"…the trees like torches, blazed with light." _

Kíli was quiet for a long while after the song ended, and each dwarf noted his silent presence with a friendly smile.

When he did speak, his voice was almost breathless. "You can all help yourself to any of the guest rooms, you can use my room as well if you wish. It is very late, and I need to find Bilbo… I will see you in the morning."

Kíli disappeared into Bilbo's bedroom, closing the door behind him. The hobbit was sitting on the bed, staring into the fire.

Without speaking, Kíli sat on the bed and leant into Bilbo's side.

"It's gone midnight." Bilbo murmured. "I suppose the dwarves will be going to be soon."

Kíli nodded, pulling Bilbo into a crushing hug and burying his head in Bilbo's shoulder.

"I know that you're lost." Bilbo whispered. "Just hold on, we'll find you."

Kíli squeezed his hobbit tighter, remembering the conversation they had had with in the kitchen, directly after being asked if he wanted to join the quest.

_"Excuse us, please?" Bilbo ushered a speechless Kíli out into the hall. _

_The dwarf spoke first. "You don't want to go, do you?"_

_Bilbo sighed. "No, I don't. Adventures are dangerous, in real life, and I'm not at all sure that I would not be more a hindrance than a help. But you want to go. And I think that you should." _

_Kíli gasped. "But-" _

_Bilbo interrupted Kíli, putting a hand on Kíli's shoulder. "Listen to me, Kíli; this has been plaguing me for months. I won't be around forever; few hobbits make it past a hundred. You, however, will live a lot longer than that. If you leave with them now, you stand to inherit a kingdom, after your brother, who has a lifespan much like yours. If you stay, you stand to inherit a hole in the ground." _

_Kíli's heart beat painfully fast in his chest and he gulped. "Bilbo, are...are you disowning me?" _

_"What? Of course not, confound it, Kíli that is not what I mean! I want you to be happy." _

_"I won't go." Kíli shook his head. "I won't go without you, I'll stay here and everything will be back to normal-" _

_"It won't be, though, will it? If you stay with me here, especially if only for my sake, you will regret it for your whole life. You will wonder where they were, you will have nothing but 'what ifs' in that funny little head of yours. You will always have a home here, in Bag End and in the Shire, but you also belong with them." _

_Kíli shook his head. "I'm afraid, Bilbo! In my dream, Thorin attacked me. What if they're-" _

_"You'll never know what they are unless you give them a chance. Did you not see the way that they look at you? They love you, Kíli." _

_"Don't you?" _

_"Of course, you funny little dwarf." Bilbo laughed softly, touching Kíli's face with his hand. "And I always will. You've been everything to me for twenty one years." _

_Kíli smiled himself for a moment, and then he shook his head. "I won't go without you, Bilbo. And as you don't want to go, I will be informing Thorin Oakenshield that we'll both be staying here." _

_"No!" Bilbo snapped. "You will do no such thing! It would not work if I came with you, I don't belong with a company of dwarves when I raised their kin without their knowledge, and you would break too many hearts - including your own - if you said no, so the only solution is for you to go!" _

_Kíli recoiled. "You...you want me to go?" _

_"Yes-no! Oh, this is too complicated for my liking!" Bilbo wanted to scream in frustration and Kíli shook his head. _

_"I won't go without you, Bilbo. I swear it." _

_Bilbo sighed. "Then we shall both just have to go. Who knows, it could be fun."_

With a soft sigh, Kíli did something that he had not done in years, and the hobbit smiled as his dwarf curled up by his side and went to sleep.

**I hope you enjoyed that! Also, in case it wasn't obvious, they sang the whole Misty Mountains song, but I'm pretty sure you'd be bored of reading the entire song. I just want to take a minute to explain that this story will NOT follow the movie OR book word for word, obviously :) **

**Kili's a little shy right now, here's to hoping he'll find his confidence in the next chapter, hey? If you fancy it, please leave a review, they literally make my day (as generic as that sounds) **


	7. Chapter 7: The Day Before the Storm

**Thank you so much for my awesome reviews! **

**Sorry for any mistakes in this chapter. **

**NB – many young hobbits are named in this chapter – most are children of Kíli's first friends in the Shire and most of the others have minor parts in the LOTR and the Appendices, so they're not massively important for this story bar this scene – I just could not help myself as it was so fun to write, thanks to ShivaVixen for the idea! **

**Read. Enjoy. Review. **

**Chapter Seven # The Day Before the Storm # **

The next morning dawned bright and sunny, and Kíli woke much earlier than usual. The sun was barely showing itself above the soft rolling hills of the Shire, throwing pinks and oranges over the otherwise green landscape when he snuck out of the door to see if he could source some food for breakfast before the others woke.

Kíli had woken up ashamed of his nervousness and timidity the night before, and he was determined to be his usual confident self. Of course, it was a lot easier to think that while everyone else was still fast asleep.

To his surprise, he was not alone outside.

"Kíli…" Thorin greeted him with a warm smile.

He smiled back, trying not to look too shy. For goodness sake, this was his _uncle_! "Good morning, Thorin. Did you sleep well?"

Thorin inclined his head into a graceful and majestic nod. "I did, thank you. Did you? I believe we displaced you from your bedroom…?"

"Oh, I was fine. I hope I'm not disturbing you?"

"Not at all." Thorin insisted emphatically. "So this is where you grew up?"

Kíli nodded. "Yes sir."

Thorin winced. "Please, do not call me sir. Thorin is fine."

"Alright, Thorin." Kíli smiled. "I was just on my way to source some breakfast for everyone."

"From where, might I ask?"

Kíli gestured down the hill. "Just from the family down the hill. The Gamgees are always up before first light, and Bell is an incredible baker."

"I see…" Thorin nodded, before turning his piercing gaze on Kíli. "You spoke with Fíli for hours last night… Did he tell you anything of me?"

"He told me a few stories." Kíli affirmed, breaking eye contact with his uncle.

"I must admit to you, Kíli, that I do not find it easy to express my emotions. However, I am very relieved to find you alive and well. I have missed you greatly these past two decades." Thorin's even, majestic voice cracked open like a coconut, revealing the pain in the dwarf's voice.

Unsure of how to respond, Kíli smiled a little. After a few moments, he gathered the courage to quietly say, "I'm usually not too bad at expressing my emotions. But then again, usually I know what my emotions are…."

Thorin gave a little laugh, staring at Kíli for a long moment, before stepping forward and hugging him tightly.

For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, something seemed to click inside Kíli's head.

He felt safe with Thorin, and he had felt whole with Fíli.

It was strange, because he had not realised that he had felt endangered or broken without them.

From the strength of the ghost of love that had welled in Kíli's heart during the previous night's conversation with his brother, Kíli could tell that once upon a time, Fíli had been his world. Similarly, the almost strong sense of security that accompanied this foreigner's embrace seemed to back-up Fíli's claims that Thorin had once been his protector, his guardian.

He returned the embrace wholeheartedly, offering with a smile. "I'm glad that you came."

Thorin grinned back. "I am glad that you think so. I want you to know that you were never forgotten, Kíli. And I am very, very glad that you chose to come with us." Then Thorin took a deep breath. "This hobbit of yours…"

"Bilbo…" Kíli felt his defensive side flaring up instantly.

"Will he tell others of our intentions?"

"Not if you don't want him to." Kíli defended angrily, before making his tone milder. "I meant to ask, is this quest a secret?"

Thorin looked at Kíli with interest. "Not exactly, no. But the fewer people who know, the safer we are."

"With your permission, there are three people I would like to tell. They would tell no one." Kíli tried to sound as proper as Bilbo always did, wanting to impress Thorin.

"Saradoc, Paladin and Esmeralda?" the dwarf guessed. As Kíli blinked stupidly, Thorin smiled. "Fíli told me of your friends last night. As long as they do not compromise the quest I see no reason why you cannot tell them. We informed our own kin of our purpose." Thorin finished quietly.

"Thank you." Kíli smiled appreciatively. "Would you like to come with me? To get the breakfast?"

Thorin smiled again, though something told Kíli that the smile did not grace the dwarf's face often. "I would like that very much. I was disappointed that I did not get to speak with you properly last night, though I would not have denied you and your brother the opportunity to talk."

"That's settled then. Oh, are any of the others early risers? Bilbo will know where I've gone, but…"

Thorin smirked. "Though they will all wake upon command, the earliest riser among them is Fíli, and he will sleep until the ninth hour if he goes undisturbed."

"Well that's alright then." Kíli grinned, striding down to the front gate. "Shall we go?"

As Thorin nodded, Kíli led the way down the hill towards Number Three with butterflies in his stomach.

"Do you usually rise this early?" Thorin asked with interest, and Kíli shook his head with a laugh.

"No, not at all! But I couldn't stay in bed this morning." He admitted readily. "I appreciate you granting us a day to put things in order, and I'm sorry that I left so quickly last night….I was a little overwhelmed."

"I do not blame you – we are not the most subtle bunch." Thorin cleared his throat. "I would like to apologise for last night, for attacking Master Baggins. I should not have reacted so rashly."

Recognising that Thorin's apology was rare but unable to brush off an attack on his father so easily, Kíli bowed his head. "I'm sorry for attacking you, too. Oh, here we are."

Thorin remained a few steps behind Kíli as they approached the door.

A small toddler, Hamfast's youngest daughter, responded to Kíli's knock. The smile that appeared on her face as she saw Kíli slipped into an expression of pure shock and she gasped.

"Sam! Oh, quick, Sam, it's a real dwarf! Kiwi's brought a real dwarf, oh come quick!"

"Hey!" Kíli cried playfully as the toddler's brother came running.

Little Sam was only nine years old, and his brown eyes widened at the sight of Thorin. "Oh, a _real_ dwarf!"

"What does that make me then?" Kíli pouted melodramatically.

"You're a dwobbit!" Marigold looked at Kíli as if it was the most obvious thing in the entire world. "You're not a proper dwarf and you're not a proper hobbit, so you're a dwobbit."

"Oh, that will do wonders for my confidence." Kíli scolded teasingly, making the young children giggle as they eyed Thorin with fearful curiously.

"Can we help you, Master Kíli?" the little boy asked politely.

"You can indeed. My friend Thorin and I would like to see your mother, please." Kíli asked confidently.

"Alright, I'll just get her for you." Sam nodded, before squeezing his eyes shut, throwing his head back and yelling as loud as he possibly could _"MAMA!" _

Kíli laughed, glancing at Thorin's mildly shocked face.

"She's on her way." Sam smiled sweetly.

"Samwise Gamgee! What have I told you about yelling in the house? Oh, good morning, Kíli. What can I do for you this morning?" Bell asked as she came closer with another daughter, pausing as she saw Thorin.

"Bilbo and I have some unexpected visitors and we have nothing to feed them." Kíli explained gently. "I can trade you two deer for two dozen of your sweet bread rolls?"

"Two deer?" Bell looked impressed, despite the wary way she looked at Thorin. "May, run and get me two baskets of rolls, please."

The girl nodded and ran into the kitchen, and Bell studied Kíli seriously.

"You're trying to get rid of the deer, aren't you?"

Kíli nodded. "There's nothing wrong with them at all, but Bilbo and I will be going away for a while, and they won't last until we get back."

"Ah, I see." Bell nodded, looking at Thorin with her hand gently resting on her youngest's shoulder. Kíli did not comment when she pulled Marigold slightly away from the door.

Kíli smiled gently as May returned with the baskets. "I'll bring the deer down later."

"Thank you. If there's anything else that you need don't hesitate to ask us."

If Kíli had waited for a moment after he thanked Bell, he might have heard the frantic whisperings of the two little Gamgees, but he did not wait, so he did not hear anything.

"It is very peaceful here." Thorin stated as they started back up the hill.

Unsure of exactly how to respond, Kíli opted for agreement. "It is."

They arrived back at Bag End rather quickly, and Thorin opened the door for Kíli helpfully, but he chose to remain outside.

Kíli poked his head out of the kitchen window to peer at the older dwarf, who was smoking his pipe with a serious expression.

"Y'alright, laddie?"

Kíli jumped and turned around to face Dwalin. "Oh, yes. Good morning."

"Mornin'." Dwalin returned with an amused expression.

"Breakfast?" Kíli forced himself to keep his chin up despite his nervousness creeping in. He could not remember ever seeing such a fierce figure as Dwalin.

"Please…" the warrior bowed his head and Kíli smiled, grabbing a plate.

"Sweet bread rolls are all we've got, I'm afraid." He explained, but the dwarf smiled.

"That's not a problem."

Kíli glanced out of the window, unsure whether or not he should re-join his uncle.

"Ah, Thorin… Let me guess, you don't know whether or not to go back out?" Dwalin supposed, and Kíli nodded.

"What _should_ I do?"

Dwalin snorted. "That's a good question. Your mother's the only one who knows how to deal with him all the time. Stay in 'ere, lad, I'd like to talk to you."

Kíli grinned and nodded, sitting down in at the kitchen table opposite Dwalin. "What about?"

"Well, I haven't seen you for two decades. And I'd like ta give you a friendly warning."

"Oh, alright…" Kíli frowned slightly.

Dwalin leant forward intently. "Balin would have my head if he heard me telling you this, he thinks it's not my place to say, but I think you should know, and your uncle and brother aren't talking."

Kíli understood instantly. "I won't tell anyone. Except maybe Bilbo."

Dwalin snorted, despite his serious demeanor. "I'm glad you're honest. They both blame themselves, for what happened all those years ago. Thorin blames himself for telling you to run and not hide, and for not reaching the pair of you in time. And Fíli blames himself for not being able to hold onto you."

"But…you said he was still a child himself?" Kíli's frown deepened.

Dwalin sighed heavily. "He was… he most certainly was. I said the two blamed themselves, but I didn't say they _were _at fault. So if they act a little strangely, bear that in mind. Though don't-"

"Tell them you said anything? I won't." Kíli promised with a sad smile.

Dwalin nodded with a wink. "Now, I've heard that you're not too shabby with a bow and arrow."

"You've heard correctly." Kíli grinned, though he wondered just how much Fíli had told the others. It was not as though anything had been a secret, he did not know why he felt a little betrayed –

"Don't worry; all your brother told us was that the bow's your only weapon, and that you've been happy here these past years…After that, he refused to tell us anything else and disappeared back into that room you were both in to sleep."

That fact comforted Kíli strangely and he smiled. "Oh…"

"You've grown up well, for a dwarf raised by such a creature." Dwalin commented, and something told Kíli that the crude statement was a compliment.

"Uh…thank you?"

Dwalin laughed, and Thorin walked back into the room, addressing the warrior directly, though he smiled at Kíli.

"We shall make use of this day to further prepare for the road ahead."

Dwalin bowed his head in agreement. "What do you have in mind?"

"Sharpening the weapons, making sure that our supplies are fully stocked, resting for those who have come from further away." Thorin suggested. "And of course, allowing Master Baggins and Kíli to conduct whatever errands they have."

"Thank you." Kíli told Thorin gratefully, and the older dwarf bowed his head.

"You are most welcome. Get everyone up, Dwalin." Thorin ordered.

Soon the kitchen and dining room were full of dwarves and a bleary eyed Bilbo, though Kíli was quick to notice who was missing. It took no effort at all to slip unnoticed out of the busy kitchen to his bedroom.

Fíli appeared to have been the only dwarf to have slept there and Kíli watched his sleeping brother for a long moment.

The golden haired dwarf was lying on top of Kíli's bed, but he was so close to the edge if he sneezed he would topple off. Clutched in his hand was the little wooden bow that Kíli had left lying atop of his bedside table, the one he had been found with.

Kíli smiled softly, before walking over and putting a hand on Fíli's shoulder, ensuring that his brother would not fall as he called out to wake him up.

"Fíli-ah!" Kíli yelled as Fíli's hand flew up towards his throat threateningly.

The wide blue eyes softened and then looked horrified. "K-Kíli?"

"Uh, yes?" Kíli stepped backwards slightly as Fíli hastened to sit up.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Fíli gasped, retracting his hands quickly. "I was dreaming, I…I thought yesterday _was_ the dream…"

"Well, it wasn't…" Kíli grinned, quickly getting over the shock of being accidently attacked.

"I'm sorry." Fíli repeated, and Kíli strengthened his smile.

"Don't be. Thorin said to wake everybody. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did…" Fíli smiled, though he did not look as if he had.

"I hope you like sweet bread rolls, it's all we've got…."

Fíli looked at Kíli curiously. "I do…you stole some for me once, from our mother. You were no more than a toddler and I was sick, so she said I couldn't have one. When you saw me crying, you crept into the kitchen, stole a whole plateful and snuck them back into our room."

"I did?" Kíli smiled.

"Yes." A wave of nostalgia came across Fíli's face as he swung his legs out of bed.

As the entire company finished eating, Kíli watched Bilbo from the corner of his eye. His hobbit, his _father, _was trying his best not to be nervous, but every time Kíli's eyes lit up at some new revelation, Bilbo's eyes grew sadder. At each of Kíli's questioning glances, the hobbit would smile at Kíli comfortingly; something that Kíli appreciated even though he knew it was forced.

Finishing his own bread roll, Kíli turned to his brother.

_His brother. _That sounded nice.

"I'm going down to see Saradoc, Esme and Paladin to explain what's going on, would you like to come?"

"Oh I see, he's the only one pretty enough to not scare your friends away?" Bofur teased, and Kíli sent a teasing grin back.

"He's related to me, so obviously."

His response cause the dwarves, Bilbo and Gandalf to all laugh, and Kíli felt his heart brighten.

"I'd like that." Fíli nodded with a grin.

"I'm not sure that Kíli's companions could handle all of you at once, Master Bofur." Gandalf chuckled, and Kíli raised his eyebrows.

"They could! They just have smaller houses." He defended, and Bilbo rolled his eyes.

"I have to agree with Kíli there, they would probably handle that better than I did."

Feeling much more confident than he had the night before, Kíli led his brother down the road to Esme and Saradoc's nearby house, grinning at his brother in excitement as he knocked on the door.

Fíli looked almost nervous as the door opened.

"Kí- oh…" Esme's eyes widened at the sight of Fíli and her mouth dropped open.

"Hello Esme." Kíli greeted cheerfully. "This is Fíli, my brother."

She blinked, and Saradoc appeared before her, looking just as shocked as his wife pointed at the golden haired dwarf. "Fíli…Kíli's brother."

"His…what?"

Looking at his slack-jawed friends and Fíli's awkward stance and growing blush, Kíli stifled his laugh. "I have a strong sense of déjà vu…"

"Oh, be quiet and get in the house, you stupid dwarf!" Esme rolled her eyes, stepping aside to allow them into her house.

It took Kíli all of ten minutes to describe the events of the previous night to his friends, and when he finished, there was silence.

"So…you're going?" Esme swallowed, hugging her arms around her waist.

Kíli's face fell and he saw Fíli bow his head out of the corner of his eye. "Not forever."

She looked up and Saradoc swallowed. They spoke in fortuitous unison. "We'd go with you, but…"

"Merry." Kíli smiled. "I know."

Esme blinked rapidly and then threw herself at Kíli. He hugged her back tightly as she whispered in his ear.

"I'm happy for you!"

"Thank you." He replied, his throat feeling thick even though he was not saying goodbye.

_Not goodbye, not yet! _

"We'll come by at sunrise tomorrow morning." Saradoc promised.

"Thank you. Where's Merry, I wanted to explain…?"

Esme sighed. "He ran off with the Frodo and the Gamgees. They were heading to Paladin's, I assume you're going their next?"

"Yes…" Kíli sighed, a little disappointed. Out of all of the hobbit children running around the Shire, Bilbo seemed closest to Frodo Baggins, who would listen to his stories with those big blue eyes and beg for more elvish lessons until the cows came home. Kíli however, was closer to little Merry, Frodo's more adventurous friend and Saradoc and Esme's son.

Esmeralda and Saradoc had named him Merry's guardian, should anything ever happen to either of them, and the day they had told him had been among the best days of his life. If Kili had a little brother figure in his life, it was Merry.

Esme pointed a finger at him. "I don't care if Merry's run away to Brandy Hall for a month - if you leave before telling Merry I will murder you."

"I couldn't leave without telling Merry." Kíli assured her, though he could not help but tease her. "I love him more than I love you."

Saradoc snorted. "That much is obvious."

As it turned out, Merry was not at Paladin's house. In fact, though Fíli and Kíli spent the entire morning looking in all of the usual playing places, they saw no children. Not one.

Kíli was intrigued to discover that this was not too unusual for Fíli, and became distracted by learning about the culture of his people (and the unfortunate lack of children), so by the time he reached Bag End, he had all but forgotten about the mystery.

Bilbo busied himself throughout the day with packing and the like, as well as arranging with the Gamgees to look after the house in case of a visit from the Sackville-Bagginses while they were away. The rumour was planted that Kíli's family had appeared quite by coincidence in the neighbourhood, and that Kíli and Bilbo were travelling with them to visit Kíli's true home.

Late in the afternoon, while all of the dwarves were on various errands, a tiny hobbit child made its way into Bag End, sat down in the middle of the living room, and started to cry.

Bofur was the first into the room, quickly followed by Bilbo and Kíli.

"Pippin? What are you doing?" Kíli frowned, approaching the wailing toddler, who was little more than an infant.

Throwing back his head, Peregrin Took howled, allowing Kíli to pick him up as the tears trailed down his cheeks.

By the time all of the dwarves and Gandalf had convened in the room to try and see what was going on, Kíli's shirt was soaked with Pippin's tears as he desperately tried to console the child.

"Sh, Pip…" Kíli urged the toddler, who looked up with wide eyes.

"Doors!" he whimpered, and Kíli nodded.

"Yes, dwarves. They're nice dwarves, though."

"All here?" Pippin wondered with a sniff, and Kíli nodded.

"Yes, they're all here." Happy that the boy seemed to be calming down, Kíli opened his mouth again, but Pippin screamed loudly.

_"NOW!" _

Suddenly the door burst open, and a gang of hobbit children toppled in, led by Merry Brandybuck and Frodo Baggins.

To Kíli's absolute shock, they charged at the company.

Pearl Took launched herself at Bofur, grabbing the both of his legs as tightly as she could while her younger sisters attacked themselves the legs of Dwalin and Fíli. The six young Gamgees split into pairs and latched onto the next three dwarves – Balin, Bifur and Ori.

Frodo himself threw himself at Thorin – Kíli admired the child's courage, though he suspected that Frodo had only looked at the intimidating dwarf's legs and not his shocked but glaring face. Milo Burrows eldest son fastened onto Nori's legs, while his younger brother and sister secured Dori.

Hugo Boffin's two children managed to grab onto Dwalin's legs, while Óin and Glóin found themselves 'restrained' by the Cotton children. Estella and Fredegar Bolger grabbed onto Bombur's leg.

The dwarves looked absolutely stumped as to what to do – Dwalin tried shaking his leg to detach Paladin's daughter, but she held on with high pitched screams.

"Merry, Pippin, go!" Frodo yelled as Thorin started to try and pull him off of his leg.

Suddenly Pippin's hands clamped over Kíli's eyes and a small hand grabbed his and started to try drag him towards the door.

"Come on, Kíli!" Merry yelled as Kíli refused to move.

"Let go at once, all of you!" Bilbo yelled, sounding aghast.

"Come _on!" _Merry cried, and a yelp and a crash from the other side of the room told Kíli that the tiny children had toppled one of the dwarves.

And as amusing as that was…

"That's _enough!" _Kíli yelled, and Pippin's hands instantly dropped from his eyes. Kíli stared down at Merry, who did not let go of Kíli's hand, though he had the decency to stare down at his feet guiltily. "Meriadoc Brandybuck, you have two minutes to tell me _exactly _what is going on or so help me-"

"We're res-king you!" Pippin's sister Pimpernel piped up, looking up at Kíli with wide eyes.

"Rescuing me? From what?" Kíli frowned.

"The doors." Pippin whispered, burying his head into Kíli's neck.

"They're going to take you away from us!" Merry cried, his lower lip wobbling.

"What?" Kíli shook his head. "What are you talking about?"

"May, Sam and Marigold heard you. You're leaving us with them, but you _wouldn't _leave us, so they must be taking you away!"

"Oh… Now this is exactly why I spent the whole morning looking for you, so I could explain this properly." Kíli scolded mildly. "I didn't think that you'd do…this. What is this, anyway?"

"We're rescuing you." Frodo repeated, before smiling at Bilbo. "And then we're going to come back and save Bilbo too."

"Oh, thank you." Bilbo raised his eyebrow.

"Did you stop to think for a second that maybe I want to go?"

"W-what?" Merry's mouth dropped open and he backed away as the hobbit children released their captives in shock, with a few notable exceptions.

"Why would you _want _to go?" Pearl blinked, if possible tightening her grip on Bofur's legs.

"Because the dwarf you, Pervinca Took, are clinging onto is called Fíli, and he is my brother. Frodo, you're currently attacking my uncle."

"No!" Merry yelled, tears springing to his eyes. "No, no! They can't have you back, no! You're _ours _now, Kíli!"

Kíli crouched down and Pippin scrambled out of his arms, scampering over to his eldest sister. "Merry, you asked me yesterday about my dwarf family. Well, this is it, or part of it. I have to go on an adventure to see my family home, but I will come back."

Merry swallowed and Kíli glanced outside at the setting son.

"But I'm glad that you all came, because I need you to do something for me."

"What is it?" Pimpernel, Paladin's middle daughter blinked her big blue eyes at Kíli. "We'll do it!"

"Can you keep a secret?" Kíli stage-whispered, and the children all nodded eagerly, while the dwarves looked on. "Now, Bilbo and I _are _going on a journey with the dwarves, but it's going to be a very important journey, almost an adventure-" at this point Kíli was interrupted by several gasps "-and I need you to tell _everyone _that there's nothing suspicious about the dwarves. It's very important that _no one knows _that this is a proper adventure, alright?"

"We'll keep the secret!" Pearl declared, and the others nodded vigorously.

Kíli grinned. "Perfect! Your parents will be worrying; you should probably all run along home or you'll blow your cover!"

Reluctantly the children nodded, before hugging Kíli one by one and leaving until only the Tooks, Frodo and Merry were left.

"I don't want you to go." Pearl protested as she squeezed Kíli tightly.

"I'm sorry, Pearl." Kíli smiled at her and stroked her hair gently. "I'll bring you back presents."

"Oh, presents!" Pervinca giggled excitedly, flinging herself at Kíli.

"Me too?" Pippin hoped as he received his cuddle, and Kíli laughed.

"Of course, you too."

A reluctant Frodo left with the Tooks, but Merry refused point blank to leave, instead pressing himself up against the wall of Bag End.

When Kíli walked up to him, Merry turned his head away.

"Merry-"

"No!"

Kíli winced. "Merry-"

"No! You like them more than you like us, and you've only seen them for a day!" the child yelled, wrapping his arms around himself the same way his mother did when she was upset.

"That's not true!" Kíli protested, crouching down next to his best friends' son.

"They can't just arrive here and suddenly take you away, it's not fair!" Merry cried, suddenly throwing his arms around Kíli's neck.

Kíli shrugged apologetically at the dwarves as Merry cried into his shoulder. "How about you stay here with me for a while this evening? Then you can see that the dwarves are really quite nice."

"Can I?" Merry looked up at Kíli with big blue eyes.

Kíli glanced over at Thorin, who nodded once. "Yes. I expect your parents will come and get you when they miss you."

Merry nodded, tucking his head into the crook of Kíli's neck and glaring at all of the dwarves.

"I hate them." He growled with uncharacteristic anger.

"Merry, that's not polite." Kíli scolded and the child curled up further against his side.

"I have to tell the truth!" Merry muttered grumpily.

Kíli bit his lip and looked sheepishly at Fíli, who smiled and took a step closer.

"You're angry at us for taking Kíli away?"

Merry nodded.

"And you will be sad when he's not here?"

"Yes…" Merry scowled.

"Well, you took Kíli away from us for twenty one years. That made me very sad." Fíli said softly, and Merry blinked, the bitterness disappearing from his eyes.

"You're Kíli's brother? Why did you leave him here in the Shire?"

"There was an accident." Kíli explained quietly. "They thought I was dead. They never thought to look in the Shire."

Merry gasped. "You thought Kíli was dead for twenty one whole years?"

"Yes." Fíli nodded.

"That would be horrible." Merry tightened his grip around Kíli's neck and the dwarf choked.

Loosening Merry's little hands, Kíli smiled down at the child sadly.

"It was." Fíli murmured.

"Promise you'll be less than twenty one years?" Merry pulled Kíli's chin down to look at him.

"I promise that I will try." Kíli nodded with a smile, poking Merry's nose.

"There's a spider in your hair." Merry pointed out, and Kíli brushed his fringe with a light shudder.

"Did you know, Merry, that Kíli used to be so afraid of spiders that he once ran for three miles from a spider that didn't actually exist?"

"That's silly!" Merry giggled.

For the rest of the evening, final preparations were made and embarrassing stories about Kíli were thrown around like Bilbo's dishes. It did not take too long for Merry to forget his anger enough to be intrigued by the dwarves, and he soon seemed far more comfortable than Bilbo or even Kíli did. He even went so far as to scramble onto Bofur's lap when Kíli disappeared into the bathroom.

Saradoc and Esme did arrive halfway through the evening, but they too stayed well into the night. Kíli was very grateful. He knew full well that they were only there to judge the characters of those that he would be travelling with, and he was glad when they seemed to decide that his family were worthy.

By the time the Brandybucks left, Merry was yawning excessively.

"Can I come with you?" he pleaded as Kíli passed him to his mother.

"No, you can't." Kíli laughed softly. "I need you to be the big boy, the ringleader for the mischief makers of Hobbiton while I'm gone."

"Oh, alright." Merry yawned. "I can do that…"

"Good…" Kíli chuckled.

"Well, hobbit children are adorable." Fíli decided as the door closed.

"And very odd." Bofur added.

"I had no idea they would do that…" Kíli admitted.

"Normal hobbit children wouldn't have." Bilbo said quietly. "But their parents were the first hobbits in the Shire to get over their prejudices against others... As children, they accepted Kíli for who he was regardless of his race and they taught their own children to do the same. Like any hobbits, they're still shy of outsiders, but I think that the fear of Kíli leaving was far worse than the fear of dwarves."

Kíli stared at the door thoughtfully.

Tomorrow, his world would change forever.

Tomorrow, he would leave his home, his friends, his family…

Tomorrow, there would be no turning back.

Kíli smiled to himself.

He could not _wait _for tomorrow. 

**So, Kíli's excited right now, but what will happen on the quest, and what will happen when he actually has to spend a whole day WITH the dwarves?**

**Some of the children bit is relevant later on, I won't tell you what but it's there for a purpose other than pure adorableness :P I hope it wasn't too silly?**

**We've had our first awkward Thorin chat – there will be both nice Thorin and douchebag Thorin in the not too distance future. **

**From this point on, the story will get a little darker, and also it will also feature all of the company so I hope you like it! **

**There are so many people reading this story that I get nervous when I update that you won't like it :) so do let me know what you think if you have a few moments :) Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8: Letters

**WOW! You guys are awesome! Thank you so much for the amazing reviews! I'm glad you all seemed to like the cute hobbit children, they were SO much fun to write! I had a couple of inquiries regarding the end and the BOFA after Merry's actions, and I will give no spoilers other than I have not completely decided yet how the end will go. It may be worth remembering that one of my other fics reverses many deaths, so you can probably tell that character death makes me very sad indeed :P**

**This is a bit of a filler chapter, but it should be okay :P**

**Sorry for any mistakes.**

**Read. Enjoy. Review. **

**Chapter Eight # Letters # **

For the first time in years, Bilbo woke before the morning had fully broken.

Upon opening his eyes, the first thing that he saw was Kíli's innocent sleeping face. The previous night, Kíli had insisted on giving up his bed for the dwarves – or more accurately for Fíli – again, so once again Bilbo had found himself sharing with the youngest dwarf, not that he minded particularly.

Careful not to wake his son, Bilbo slipped out of bed and got dressed, ensuring that he had everything that he would need while being careful not to include unnecessary indulgences. As soon as he heard the dwarves beginning to stir, he moved over to the other side of the bed.

"Kíli…Kíli it's time to wake up!" he murmured, rubbing Kíli's shoulder gently.

Kíli groaned and threw an arm over his eyes. "Five more minutes?"

Bilbo laughed. "Do you want to tell Thorin that, or shall I?"

"Alright, alright, I'm getting up!" Kíli grumbled, blinking several times until his bright brown eyes focused on Bilbo. "Good morning."

Bilbo smiled back. "It is…it is…"

Kíli frowned lightly. "That's not your usual response."

"Blame the wizard." Bilbo responded, ruffling Kíli's hair. "Come on, get up, get up!"

Kíli laughed and held out his hand. Rolling his eyes, Bilbo pulled the young dwarf out of bed.

"Hurry and get dressed."

"Are you excited?" Kíli grinned at Bilbo with infectious enthusiasm.

"Yes, I am." Bilbo replied honestly.

It did not take Kíli long to get ready, and Bilbo was reminded just how different Kíli looked from the rest of his kin his hobbit attire. He certainly looked a lot more vulnerable.

Breakfast was a quick but hearty meal, and by the time the sun had come up they were all but ready to leave.

"Kíli!" Esme called as she raced her brother and husband up the hill. Several dwarves looked taken aback when she flew into Kíli's arms and he twirled her around, but Bilbo was pleased to see that Fíli at least looked completely comfortable, if a little sad, at the display. "Oh, I'm going to miss you!"

Bilbo smiled sadly to himself when Kíli whispered back words that none of the others could hear into Esmeralda's curly hair, before releasing her and pulling something out of his bag and passing it to her carefully.

"Look after it for me?"

"Of course I will." She smiled tearfully as she took the huge, leather bound book, folding her arms around it and holding it closely.

Kíli smiled at her and then clamped his hand onto Paladin's arm.

"Take care of yourself, Kíli." The oldest hobbit of the trio smiled wanly. "For once."

Kíli laughed. "I will. Say goodbye to the little ones for me."

"Of course." Paladin nodded with a smile.

Saradoc shifted his bleary eyed son who was tucked into the crook of his arm so that he could grasp Kíli's hand warmly. "Seriously, Kíli, be careful. I expect to see you again."

"You will, if I have half a say in the matter." Kíli promised, and Bilbo smiled sadly.

As the child in Saradoc's arms reached desperately for Kíli, a lump grew in Bilbo's throat. Wordlessly, Kíli took Merry into his arms, shushing gently as the child as he began to cry.

"Don't go!" the little boy begged hopelessly, and Kíli smiled sadly.

"I've got to go, but I'll see you soon enough, alright?"

"How soon?" Merry's demand was weakened by his yawn.

"As soon as I can, and I shall write to you if I get a chance. Merry, will you look after something for me?"

Wiping his nose on his sleeve, Merry sniffed and nodded.

Kíli pulled the tiny bow he had possessed his whole life out of his pocket. "Will you look after this until I get back?"

"I will, I promise!" The child clung to Kíli desperately for a moment, before releasing his grip slightly. "I have something for you, too. It's waterproof and it's not too heavy, in case you fall into more rivers. I made it last night."

Kíli took the tiny, leather wrapped package with surprise, but hugged Merry tightly all the same. "Thank you, Merry."

"Open it later." Merry ordered, before turning his solemn gaze to Thorin. "Look after my Kíli."

Thorin earned some admiration from Bilbo when he bowed at the young hobbit. "I will, Master Meriadoc."

Merry nodded soberly, before giving Kíli one last squeeze. "I love you, Kíli. Don't forget me! Promise you won't!"

Kíli pressed a kiss onto the child's curly head. "I promise. And I love you too."

Bilbo embraced Esme quickly and shook hands with the two boys, and then they were off, down the path to the road they were to wake.

_This is it…_Bilbo thought numbly. _I'm going on an adventure…_

A few early rising children came to the window to wave Kíli and Bilbo goodbye, but other than that they saw no one, quickly making their way into the sparsely populated wooded areas of the Shire.

Dísmayed at the knowledge that he was expected to ride a pony, Bilbo's Baggins side wanted to make a fuss when he was told to mount a beast called 'Myrtle', but the worry marring the joy on Kíli's face as the dwarf stared at him was enough to close his mouth.

Though he struggled a little, he mounted the pony with no further complaint, and tried his very hardest to relax into the saddle like Kíli seemed to do so easily.

"Y'alright, Bilbo?" a cheerful lilt asked from his right, and he turned to look at Bofur with a forced smile.

"Me? Oh, yes, I'm fine."

"You've never ridden before, have yeh?" Bofur asked with his easy smile, and Bilbo shook his head.

"I can't say I have, no. I've never really gone far enough to warrant the fuss."

"How far have yeh been before?" Bofur's curiosity was friendly and non-intrusive, and Bilbo found himself warming to the dwarf a little more.

"I've been to Bree a couple of times with Kíli, but that is about it." The hobbit explained honestly.

"I see." Bofur nodded thoughtfully, before nodding up at Kíli. "It was a decent thing you did, taking in the lad like that. Dwarves aren't often shown much kindness by strangers…"

"Maybe I've just led a very sheltered life, but I did not think that any decent person would have left a child in a river like that." Bilbo shifted uncomfortably.

"Aye, but few would've taken him home with them, yeh can't deny that. Raising him on your own can't have been easy either. In my humble opinion, you did well." Bofur smiled at Bilbo, who smiled back.

"Thank you. What do you do, may I ask?" Bilbo asked, genuinely curious.

Bofur nodded with a smile. "I'm a miner, mainly, but I prefer toy-making…"

Further up the line, Kíli himself was engrossed in conversation with Ori.

"What does a scribe _do _exactly?"

Ori twitched, pulling at his mittens. "Well, we write documents, track records, record events, all sorts…"

"I see…" Kíli nodded thoughtfully.

"It doesn't sound like the most exciting job, but I like it." The shy young dwarf looked as if he expected Kíli to scoff at him.

"It sounds like an important job." Kíli noted seriously, before adding. "I think there are lots of different types of exciting as well. If everyone was a warrior the world would be a very bloody and boring place."

Ori smiled at him happily. "I'm glad you think so."

"Do you have a sword?" Kíli asked with interest. "I don't think that everyone needs one, I'm just curious."

"That's fine… No, though I can use one." Ori answered easily.

"Well, you have one up on me, then." Kíli pointed out, before pausing.

Ori spoke with quiet curiosity. "Do you have a job?"

"I do." Kíli nodded proudly. "I work down at Bywater Smithy. We don't make much more than jewellery and garden tools, hobbits don't approve of ironmongery, but it comes easily to me, and I'm not a leech. Bilbo's money is Bilbo's money, however much he tries to convince me otherwise."

For the entirety of the first day of travel, excited butterflies wreaked havoc in Kíli's stomach, causing him to wonder just how excited he would become when they actually left the Shire. Just as he had in the previous day, Kíli spent most of the day learning as much as he could about his kin and his previous home.

Importantly, he learnt that dwarves most certainly do not have seven meals a day, a detail that he could see distressed Bilbo slightly, though his ever patient guardian would never admit it.

After the first day of riding, he ached ever so slightly, but it was Bilbo that was walking funny.

"So, Kíli…Would you like to learn some of that sword work now?" Fíli offered as soon as they made camp, and Kíli's eyes lit up.

"Yes, please!"

"You're training him?" Dwalin grinned evilly. "How about a demonstration?"

Fíli mirrored his malicious smirk, grabbing his swords from the side of his pony. "I thought you'd never ask."

"My apologies about that pair." Balin shook his head and looked at Kíli. "My brother has a certain lust for action…"

Kíli laughed, turning his gaze to the warrior facing his brother.

They were circling each other at the far end of the clearing away from the fire being built by Bombur and Bifur, but soon enough everyone was watching the grinning dwarves as the friendly tension grew.

Suddenly, the pair roared at each other and Kíli's spine tingled with anticipation as they charged.

Fíli's twin blades clanged loudly as they crashed against Dwalin's war hammer, and the pair began twirling around each other, as graceful and skilled as dancers. Kíli watched in awe as they landed blow after blow, and twirled around each other with unnerving skill.

When Dwalin finally won the duel, Kíli was itching to try.

"You can use one of my swords to train." Fíli offered, but Thorin shook his head.

"No, you cannot." The leader went on to explain, more for Kíli's benefit than for Fíli's. "The twin blades must be shaped and balanced differently from standard swords so they may be wielded together. Use my sword."

Kíli's mouth dropped open slightly. "Are, are you sure?"

Thorin raised his eyebrow, gauging his nephew's reaction. "I am sure."

Kíli swallowed. "Thank you!"

Thorin smiled, handing over the blade easily. "You are welcome."

He pulled out his pipe and leant against a tree as he watched Fíli take his brother through the basics of sword work, from the simplest stance to the easiest attacks. It pleased him that Kíli's muscles seemed to remember the early lessons that his brain could not recollect, and his nephew seemed to slip back into the movements with relative ease.

However, watching the two boys practise sent Thorin tumbling back into an abyss of memories, an abyss that he did not wish to enter now.

He did not want to watch himself play with his lost brother; he did not want to relieve the sheer agony he had felt when his other half was ripped away.

He did not want to watch his sister-sons play; he did not want to re-watch the sheer agony that Fíli had felt when _his_ other half was ripped away.

He did not want to watch Fíli teach Kíli and stir up all of those old memories.

Thorin stood up and strode over to the company's scribe.

"Ori? I need some paper, and a pen if you have it."

"Oh, of course!" the young dwarf stammered, hastening to retrieve Thorin's desired items.

Thorin stared at the piece of paper and then began to write the words he had been mulling over for two whole days.

_Dearest Dís,_

I have spent this very day thinking of nothing but how to put my news into words, and I hesitantly concluded that the kindest way to deliver it would be to simply write it as clearly as possible.

_Kíli is alive, my dear sister, both of your sons live. _

_While in the Shire we discovered that the burglar Gandalf chose pulled the lad out of the Brandywine twenty one years ago, and the head wound caused by the orcs stole his memory of the past. Though he has no recollection of us, Kíli has grown up safe and healthy. _

_I have no doubts, Dís that this is your son - even if the scar on his hand from those pipes was not visible I would still be sure - his eyes have not changed a fraction and his resemblance to yourself and to me is strong. _

_The hobbit seems to have been good to him, and he appears both happy and healthy. He is leaner than his brother with less stubble but he is just as tall and his hair it of the same length. I believe that he still shoots, and as I write this he is receiving a lesson in swordsmanship from Fíli and Dwalin, for yes, we offered him a place amongst the company. _

_Fíli and I are well and the journey has so far been smooth. _

_I shall write when I get an opportunity, and when I know more. _

_Thorin_

"Thorin...?"

Thorin's head snapped up to look at Kíli and automatically his hand moved to cover the writing. "Yes, Kíli?"

"I only meant to return your sword, sir, I was not trying to read your letter. Thank you for letting me borrow it." Kíli responded quietly, casting his eyes downward to the floor and guilt tugged at Thorin's heart.

"You can read it if you wish, Kíli. And you are most welcome."

Kíli's eyes flickered to the letter with a sparkle of interest, but then he blushed. "I...couldn't."

Thorin raised an eyebrow and the embarrassment shining from Kíli's face grew.

"I cannot read Khuzdul runes. Excuse me."

Thorin ran a hand over his jaw as he watched Kíli walk away and lean against another tree, and despite all his previous struggles the King-In-Exile was sucked into a memory.

_"I cannot believe him!" Thorin fumed, slamming a fist into the beam of the doorway. _

_"Thorin!" Dís whispered, though he knew that the anger sizzling in her eyes was not directed at him. "You'll wake the boys."_

_"Did you hear the things he _said_ about the boys?" Thorin hissed back, unable to control his fury. "About our father, about _you?"

_"I heard him…" Dís murmured, putting a hand on Thorin's arm. "But Thorin, he is just an ambassador. His opinion is not worth your getting so angry…" _

_"He went too far, Dís, too far!" the dwarf leader fumed, the harsh insults to his family still ringing in his ears. _

_"Ama?" Fíli asked from the doorway of the room he shared with his little brother, who was hiding behind the golden haired dwarfling. "What's wrong with Uncle Thorin?"_

_"A bad man said some very mean things." Dís instantly put on a soothing tone. _

_"What things?" Fíli pressed, and Kíli moved around him a little. _

_Thorin gnashed his teeth together, the very memory of the offenses making his wrath bubble over. _

_Kíli tugged on his brother's sleeves. "Uncle Thorin doesn't want to talk about the mean man now. He wants to make him hurt badly." _

_"Kíli!" Dís raised an eyebrow and Kíli shuffled down the hall, his thumb in his mouth. _

_Thorin looked down at his young nephew who held his arms up expectantly. Lifting Kíli up off of the floor, Thorin tucked the child into the crook of his arm and pressed his chin onto his sister-sons head. _

_Slowly, the anger began to seep from his limbs and from his heart with the soothing circles Kíli had started to rub on his shoulder._

_"It's alright, uncle Thorin." Kili copied his mother's soothing words that she used so often to lull them to sleep after nightmares. "We're here and we loved you and that's all that matters."_

_The ambassador's words were not true, and it did not matter if the conceited old Firebeard thought that they were. _

_The incredibly perceptive child in Thorin's arms was more than worthy of the title 'heir of Durin', and what was more, he was Thorin's heir and he was Thorin's nephew. _

_Somehow, even at the age of only twenty, Kíli knew exactly what to do and say no matter what Thorin's mood. _

Thorin realised with a breaking heart that Kíli did not know how to respond to him anymore, and a strange fear came across him when he realised that he would have to be careful not to humiliate or scare the gentle dwarf.

Thorin did not know how to act around his own nephew, and that scared him. As his sister liked to point out, relationships were not his strong point.

As his uncle searched desperately for ways to rebuild the incinerated bridge between them, Kíli unwrapped the parcel Merry had given him with curiosity.

To his surprise, a letter in Esme's distinctive handwriting fluttered down on his lap.

_Dear Kíli, _

_This letter is from Merry, but Mama is writing it for me because I don't know my letters well. So that you won't forget me if you fall into any more rivers, I've drawn you a picture. Please, please, don't forget me, Kíli. __I know that you will never forget me but__ Mama wrote the wrong thing – I know the dwarves are more interesting than me – yes write __every__ word Mama – but I hope you'll still love me even when they are more better than me. _

_I also wrote – alright, alright, Mama wrote – all of our names on the back of the present in case you fall into any more rivers and you can put it around your neck if you want to. _

_We have to go now and say goodbye to you but I know it won't be goodbye forever because you promised. _

_And even if you do forget me, I know you'll never forget your promise. _

_Love from Merry. _

His young friend's name was written in the shaky hand of the seven year old himself, and Kíli almost felt a tear in his eye as he stowed the note safely in a pocket on top of his heart and picked up a wooden medallion a little smaller than his palm.

Carved into the wood were the stick-figures of a small curly haired child and a taller figure, with the words 'Merry' and 'Kíli' labelling them with wobbly letters, and a leather thong created an effect almost like a necklace.

"Bilbo, look…" he murmured with a smile, leaning over and proudly showing him Merry's craft. "Look what Merry made me!"

Bilbo smiled. "That's…very special."

"I know…" Kíli nodded, running his hands over the carving. "I know…"

Through the dying firelight, Ori glanced up at the younger dwarf as he wrote down the first words of the fresh chapter in his account of the journey.

_In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit and a dwarf…_

**I hope that ending was alright, I felt a little cheeky giving Ori Bilbo's words but who knows, maybe the hobbit will steal them later ;) **

**See you soon for a chapter with a little more action! **


	9. Chapter 9: Nadadith

**AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! SQUUUEAAAAAALLLL! **

**That was my incredibly amazed reaction to receiving 100 reviews before chapter 10! You guys are soooo awesome! Also, there are so many people following this story, thank you all so much! **

**So, here's the next chapter, as ever sorry for any mistakes! **

**Read. Enjoy. Review. **

**Chapter Nine # Nadadith #**

_"Now, what does this say?" Balin asked patiently, pointing to the next word. _

_Kíli sighed heavily, and leant his head on his hand heavily. "I don't know." _

_"Yes you do, laddie." Balin chided gently. _

_"Um…nadad?" _

_"Very good. What does that mean?" _

_"Brother!" Kíli sang, looking to the door. "Is Fíli back yet?" _

_Balin paused. The twenty year old child was having his first lessons, but Fíli was being taught more complex grammar by Thorin. "No, Fíli won't be back for a while." _

_Kíli slipped back into boredom. "Oh…" _

_"Now, how would you say little brother?" _

_"Um…" _

_"What does Fíli call you?"_

_"Nadadith?" Kíli guessed. _

_"Very good." Balin smiled. _

_"But he also calls me smelly." _

_"Does he indeed?" Balin raised an eyebrow. _

_"He does-"_

_"We're home!" Fíli's yell caused Kíli to spring up from the table with a happy shout. _

_"Yay! Nadad!" _

_As the golden haired dwarfling heard his brother's call, he beamed. "Did you just call me nadad?"_

_"It means brother!" Kíli puffed up proudly. _

_"I know that, nadadith!" Fíli giggled, hugging his little brother. _

_Balin watched with a smile. _

Kíli had never been the most receptive Khuzdul student. He was too easily distracted and far too full of energy. Speaking the language had never been a problem, but writing was another thing entirely….

Balin sighed heavily. He had not wanted to take Kíli on the quest. The moment he had received the entire story, his heart told him to leave both Kíli and the hobbit be.

Having Fíli and Ori along for this fool's errand was bad enough for Balin, but both of the other youngsters were trained at least. Kíli had no training, no education, no experience...

The only reason Balin himself had joined the quest was his unbending loyalty to Thorin - in his heart he did not believe their quest could succeed against so many odds on a task that had been the death of Thorin's father before he was within leagues of the thrice cursed dragon. With the upbringing Kíli had received, to take him on such a quest would be tantamount to murder.

Balin did not doubt the lad's heart or courage, but how could a one with the experience of a child survive a quest that had killed a king as strong as Thráin?

If something did happen to Kíli, his brother, uncle and hobbit would surely be crushed beyond healing.

"You still think Thorin made the wrong choice?" Dwalin seemed to read his thoughts as he sat down next to Balin.

"Aye. You of all people know how little stock I hold in the quest, and taking Kíli along when he has as much experience as a child? I fear it won't end happily." Balin admitted, making sure to keep his voice down so that only his brother could hear.

"His body remembers what his mind cannot." Dwalin said quietly. "It won't take long to train-"

"Don't be a fool, brother. Kíli only received the most basic training before we lost him, do you honestly think he will be able to defend himself before the first skirmish?"

Dwalin glared fiercely back at him. "No, I don't, but until he can we can protect him. Forget about the quest, forget about Thorin. _Fíli_ wouldn't have coped if he left Kíli behind again."

Balin sighed again. "If it were me, I would have them both stay behind, and Ori." "The lads have a right to prove themselves-"

"On such a folly task as this?"

Dwalin sent Balin a withering look. "We _will_ slay that damned dragon, and we _will_ retake our homeland."

"That's what we said last time." Balin said darkly.

Their conversation was interrupted by the deliverance of their dinner, and Dwalin shook his head.

Throughout the next day of riding, the warrior kept a very close eye on Kíli.

Though the journey out of the Shire was far too peaceful for Dwalin's liking, Kíli seemed more than comfortable with the peace. If they had been journeying with the boy Dwalin had known, Kíli would have been complaining to high heaven about the lack of action, but the life in the Shire had clearly accustomed the lad to peace.

If Dwalin did not have such an insatiable thirst for action, he would have thought such a life a paradise. Dwalin, unlike Thorin and his brother, had been born in exile, and he had spent the majority of his childhood hungry and afraid.

It appeared that Kíli had lived a life which had everything Dwalin had not, but lacked most things that Dwalin had.

Kíli interacted well with the others – he had not lost his curiosity or his confidence. He asked many questions, to the point where Fíli occasionally guided him away from irritated elders. The very sight of Fíli looking after Kíli warmed Dwalin's hardened heart, and the two boys were together more often than not.

There was a certain gentleness about Kíli that was not something often found in dwarves, and Dwalin could not quite put his finger on it. Unfortunately, it reminded him of his brother's words and highlighted a certain vulnerability about the boy as well.

When they camped for the evening, Kíli was eager to train again, and once again Dwalin helped Fíli to teach his brother. He was very proud to see Fíli copying some of his teaching techniques, and he became surer of his arguments against Dwalin at Kíli's improvement, even from the night before.

Training finished around an hour before sundown and when it did Kíli leant against a tree and began to remove his boots. He had noticed the previous day that the dwarves had kept their boots on all night, for ease apparently, but he hated the feeling of his feet being squished in boots all day and all night.

"Kíli?"

He looked up at Thorin. "Yes?"

"Would you come with me?"

Kíli nodded at the dwarf who was his uncle but he glanced at Bilbo before he moved.

"We aren't going far." Thorin assured him.

Kíli nodded again and followed Thorin into the woods, not missing the way that Thorin glanced at his bare feet. Regardless, the dwarf said nothing until they reached a small clearing, no bigger than the entrance hall to Bag End.

"What are we doing?" Kíli asked a little nervously.

"Yesterday, you said that you could not read or speak Khuzdul."

"That's right." Kíli shuffled anxiously.

"Here…" Thorin knelt down on the floor and traced several runes into the dust. "That says 'khuzd', and means 'dwarf'."

Kíli's mouth dropped open a little, and he slowly sat down. "Khuzd?"

"Exactly." Thorin smiled.

"Khuzd." Kíli repeated, a smile creeping onto his face. Hesitantly, he copied the runes onto the sandy ground with a stick.

"Very good…" Thorin nodded, before frowning. "Though, it may make a little more sense to start with the alphabet. Forgive me, I am not the most experienced of teachers."

"There's nothing to forgive." Kíli assured Thorin. "And the alphabet would be a good place to start. Thank you very much for teaching me."

The lesson continued until they ran out of light, by which point the Kíli knew the entire alphabet and a handful of simple words and phrases. To his joy, he was a quick learner when it came to the dwarven language.

Bilbo looked up when they returned, and Kíli could see the relief in his eyes, so he made a point to sit down next to his hobbit.

"What were you doing?"

Kíli could recognise the poorly hidden tension behind Bilbo's genuine curiosity, and he leant into Bilbo for a moment. "Thorin was teaching me some Khuzdul."

"Oh, I see…" Bilbo smiled at Kíli. "That's good…"

Kíli glanced around the camp before whispering very quietly in Bilbo's ear.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Bilbo whispered back, but his smile was significantly clipped.

"Bilbo, I can read you like a book." Kíli nudged Bilbo in the ribs gently. "There's something wrong."

"Don't worry about it, Kíli. I'm fine." Bilbo insisted in his patented 'end of conversation' tone.

Kíli frowned slightly, but gratefully accepted a bowl of stew from Bofur.

"Kíli, you can take the last watch with Fíli tonight." Thorin's order flew across the camp and Kíli nodded.

When Fíli woke him up for the watch, light was just starting to seep through the canopy of trees above.

"Morning."

"Morning!" Kíli yawned, propping himself up on his elbows. "Ow…"

"Are you alright?" Fíli frowned, and Kíli nodded.

"I just ache." He explained with a wince. "I'm not used to travelling. Or training."

Fíli helped him up and they sat together on a nearby tree smoking some fine pipe weed from the Shire.

"This is good." Fíli said quietly, studying his pipe.

"Longbottom leaf…" Kíli nodded. "It is good."

"So… is there anyone getting on your nerves yet?" Fíli asked with a smile.

"No, not at all." Kíli shook his head. "Are we too boring for you yet?"

Fíli laughed quietly and then mimicked his brother's words. "No, not at all. Thorin was teaching you Khuzdul, wasn't he?"

"He was…" Kíli nodded, and his brother smiled at him.

"Thorin has not tutored a single soul in twenty one years. Before you…before it…well, he had just given you your first history lessons… Afterwards he left all of my lessons to Balin." Fíli explained, putting a hand on Kíli's arm.

Kíli smiled sadly, trying not to bite his lip as he admitted his regret to his brother. "I suppose…the thing about losing your memory…I never realised before that…well…I suppose that I never suspected I could be missed so much…"

"You never suspected…what?" Fíli stared at Kíli as if he had grown an extra head and the dark haired dwarf squirmed uncomfortably.

"Well I was found in a river with a head wound and nobody came for me…I never knew that…" Kíli cast his eyes down to the floor.

Fíli looked at Kíli intently for a moment before pulling him into a hug for the first time since they had been reunited. Kíli gave a little smile and then hugged Fíli back, leaning his head on his brother's shoulder for a moment.

Kíli quickly settled into a routine of sorts, his hobbit-y upbringing revelling in the security brought by the expected. He would rise with the others at the crack of dawn and stumble sleepily onto his pony after a quick breakfast.

Mornings were used for planning and for light conversation - usually with Ori, Bofur, and Nori. At around lunchtime they ate on the go, with Kíli naturally gravitating towards Bilbo, with whom he would spend the afternoon. By late afternoon, they would make camp and train for a few hours with Dwalin, while the last hour or so of light was dedicated to Khuzdul with Thorin. Every night he would watch with his brother, and watches were used to speak about deeper, more private matters and to share quiet memories.

Fíli was usually by his side throughout the entire day with the sole exception of the Khuzdul lessons with Thorin, and Kíli liked it. He would have thought it stifling in theory, but in reality Fíli just…there. He was unassuming and he could be as quiet as a mouse. However, he could also be just as loud or bouncy as Kíli, and he always seemed to know how to react at the right moment. It had not taken long for the word 'brother' to mean something to Kíli.

He just did not realise how _much_ it meant until the storm came.

_Kíli pressed his face against the misty window pane and watched the rain pound the ground viciously, displacing the previously sandy road at the bottom of the garden path as thunder rumbled across the Shire. _

_Lightening crackled across the sky like the whip of the Valar, illuminating the entire Shire against the black clouds and Kíli gasped. _

_"Let's go out!" _

_When there was no reply, he looked around for the hobbit he had been living with for just over a year, spotting him finally, lingering in the shadows of the kitchen. _

_"Can we go out in the rain, oh please can we?" _

_Another crack of lightening lit up Bilbo's unnaturally dark face, marred by an expression the dwarfling had never seen before, and Kíli blinked._

_"Bilbo? What's wrong?" To his utmost horror, tears sprang to Bilbo's eyes, and he gasped again. "Bilbo, Bilbo what's wrong?" _

_The hobbit slowly joined him by the window and stared across the storm infested hills, putting a hand on Kíli's shoulder before pulling him into a hug. "I haven't seen a storm for a while..." _

_"Why does that make you cry?" Kíli asked, baffled as he gently pulled away, and Bilbo wiped his eyes. _

_"Kíli, the last time I saw a storm like this was the night that my parents died." Kíli's mouth made a little 'o' shape, and Bilbo continued. "It was also the night I found you, the night you nearly..." _

_They stared at the rain in silence for a moment and then Kíli piped up quietly. "The storm brought me here?" _

_"Yes..." Bilbo sighed quietly. _

_"Then it wasn't all bad." Kíli hoped, and Bilbo smiled at him in surprise. "This is home." _

_Bilbo put an arm over Kíli's shoulder and drew him closer with a sad little sigh. "What would I do without you, Kíli?" _

_"Become a stuffy so-and-so who cares more about doilies and dishcloths than having fun?" Kíli sent up an angelic smile as Bilbo laughed. _

_Another slamming round of thunder crashed down, and Kíli stared longingly at the door. _

_"Why on earth do you want to go out in that?" Bilbo shook his head and Kíli grinned. _

_"It would be fun." _

_"Oh, well..." Bilbo sighed. "Here goes my sanity." _

_Kíli squealed as Bilbo pulled open the door, and the dwarfling dashed out into the pouring rain, tipping his head to the heavens and allowing the rain to pour over his face. Within moments he was soaked to the bone. _

_"Be quick, Kíli." Bilbo worried. "You'll catch your death out there..." _

_"It's fine!" Kíli insisted, wiping his soaking fringe away from his eyes so that he could see. _

_He twirled around, laughing in what seemed to be a maniacal dance, though it was mainly an attempt to cheer up Bilbo. _

_A lightning strike shot down from the heavens and crackled along the weather vein of the house next door, causing the wood beneath it to smoke and Kíli gasped. Bilbo yelped, his hobbit's sense of danger coming into play as he darted outside and grabbed Kíli's hand._

_ "That's enough!" _

_They ran back inside and Kíli laughed. "That was fun!" _

_"I'm glad." Bilbo smiled. "Though now you need a bath."_

_ "What?" Kíli gasped. "But I washed in the rain!" _

_Bilbo shook his head, unwilling to argue with the child. "Go and get into your nightclothes then, and dry off properly! The last thing we need is you getting sick." _

_"Yes, sir!" Kíli saluted, squelching through the house. _

_When he emerged from his bedroom trying to towel dry his tussled hair, he saw Bilbo sitting in his armchair staring at the roaring fire, his eyes clouded with nostalgia as a single tear made its way down his cheek. _

_Kíli froze, completely unsure of what he should do. _

_Should he hug Bilbo and tell him that everything was going to be fine until the sorrow ebbed away, or should he leave the hobbit in peace? _

_Bilbo knew exactly what to do when Kíli was upset, but the dwarfling had no idea what he should do for Bilbo. He snuck forward another step, but his sneaking was not very effective and the hobbit turned. _

_"Your hair's still soaking..." Bilbo tutted gently, patting his lap. _

_Kíli ran over happily and clambered up onto Bilbo's lap, handing Bilbo the towel. _

_As the hobbit dried Kíli's hair, he spoke quietly. "I wish you could have known them. They would have loved you." _

_"Do you think so?" _

_"I know so." _

_Kíli looked up and instead of moving with the dwarfling's head Bilbo dropped the towel. "Will you tell me about them?"_

_"Oh, well..." Bilbo smiled. "Where to begin... I believe that my mother would have spoilt you from the start. She was very Tookish, always up for an imaginary adventure but she would always act very respectably, my father was a very strong Baggins type..." _

_As Kíli listened to Bilbo's bittersweet memories of his parents he nestled into the hobbit's chest a little more. Bilbo rested his chin on Kíli's wet hair as he talked, and he talked until he started to cry quietly. _

_Kíli wrapped his arms around Bilbo in an attempt to comfort the hobbit, willing to cuddle his only family for as long as he needed. He did not try to shush Bilbo - he knew full well that sometimes even adults needed to cry until their tears carried all of the bitterness from their sorrow. _

_Outside, the thunder ceased but the rain continued, washing away the sorrows of the day down the path as it lulled the make-shift family to sleep._

On the first day of the third week of travel, the rain began, gathering strength until it became a constant downpour that dampened everyone's spirits.

Two days later the thunder began, and Kíli noticed both Bilbo and Fíli retreating further into themselves – and their hoods.

"Take care!" Thorin's yell carried down the line. "We should dismount, the path is treacherous!"

Kíli glanced ahead and had to agree - the density of the trees had forced the mounted company onto a thin stretch of rocks barely as wide as Bombur that was balanced precariously atop the bank of a raging river.

As the company began to obey, Kíli paused to remove his sodden boots.

"What on earth are you doing?" Fíli yelled over the rain and Kíli grinned at his brother.

"I'll have better grip without them."

The nearby Glóin looked less than convinced, but Fíli nodded with begrudging acceptance. Sliding off of his pony, Kíli began to follow Bilbo across carefully. Suddenly he was tugged back by a very indignant pony.

"Come on, Daisy!" He pulled on the pony's reigns and with a reluctant wicker she followed him.

Fíli, who was directly behind him, shifted to dismount, but as he did so the pony's hooves lost their grip on the slippery rocks. With a cry of surprise, Fíli was dragged into the river by a falling pony.

"Fíli!" Kíli cried in horror, and Thorin whirled around.

"No!"

"Fíli!" Kíli repeated, looking desperately into the murky river as the whinnying pony resurfaced alone. "Fíli, Fíli!"

His heart pounded painfully as the pony kicked its way towards a nearby gravel beach, urged on by Bifur and swaying a few times in the current.

Kíli scoured for a moment more and then reacted without thinking further.

"Kíli, wait!" Bilbo cried in a panic as the young dwarf ripped off his sodden, restrictive coat and plunged into the river.

Ignoring his hobbits frantic pleas, Kíli dove down further, the glinting of golden hair catching his eye. Resisting the flow of the current with all his strength, Kíli pulled himself downwards and squinted until the thrashing figure of his brother came into view.

Kicking powerfully, Kíli grabbed onto Fíli's arm and his brother's head snapped up to look at him. Blind panic shone through Fíli's eyes, and the sheer fear evident in his brother's face nearly froze Kíli's heart.

Fíli thrashed around again, trying to use Kíli's arm to pull himself up, but all the panicked movements did was drag them both further down, so Kíli tugged his arm out of his brother's grip.

He had not thought that it would have been possible for the fear in Fíli's eyes to increase, but it did, and he put his hand on Fíli's shoulder as he glanced down.

Already his lungs were burning.

The force of the tumble had ripped the saddle from the pony, but it had tangled around Fíli's legs and anchored itself to a long dead tree at the bottom of the lake, affectively tying Fíli to the bottom of the lake.

Fíli's frantic attempts to loosen the straps had resulted only in tightening the cords wrapping around his legs.

_Knife, _Kíli thought as he tugged desperately at the ropes, _Fíli, where's your knife? _

Bubbles flew past Kíli's cheek as Fíli's hand batted against his brother's face. Kíli's heart stopped beating as Fíli struggled to prevent himself from taking a breath.

He pressed his hand against Fíli's cheek desperately, pleading with his brother to hold on as he tore at the tangled cords. Kicking himself further down, Kíli managed to distangle Fíli's legs, but as he floated back up he saw his brother's eyes rolling backwards.

Crying out automatically, Kíli clamped his mouth shut to prevent the water from flowing in and propelled himself up towards the surface.

The moment his head broke free of the water he gasped deeply, pulling Fíli up and smashing him on the back. Apparently, the older dwarf's loss of consciousness had been weak, because he coughed and spluttered until his eyes widened and he gripped onto Kíli's arm with terror.

"Over here!" Dwalin yelled, waving at the bank, and Kíli nodded.

Fíli was still panicking, and Kíli held onto his arm tightly. "Let the current carry you downstream, Fíli."

"No!" Fíli gasped, coughing. "We'll drown!"

Kíli kept his voice calm. "No one is going to drown."

"If we let the current take us-"

Kíli turned Fíli to face him as they desperately tried to tread water, staring intently into his brother's blue eyes. "Fee, trust me. I won't let you drown, I promise. Just relax..."

Gasping slightly, Fíli blinked, and then he let his body relax, tightening his grip on Kíli's arms. The moment Kíli himself stopped fighting they spun down the river at a stomach churning pace. Eyeing a nearby tree leaning over the river, Kíli prepared himself.

The moment the opportunity arose, he threw his hands into the air and grasped the branch, holding onto Fíli with his legs. With expert skill, Kíli used his arms to pull himself onto a nearby branch while still keeping his legs around Fíli's chest until he could reach down with his arms and pull him up.

The youngest dwarf breathed heavily as Fíli leant against him, and he waved at the dwarves now less than twenty yards away to signal that they were alright.

"Oh, Mahal..." Fíli whispered, his fingers stark white as they grasped the branch.

"It will be fine." Kíli promised, easily climbing towards the trunk - and the bank.

Fíli started to follow him, struggling on the slippery branches. He fell with a cry and almost swung full out of the tree, grappling for any bough he could. Within moments Kíli returned, and he offered Fíli his hand.

"I can't!" Fíli croaked, his arms wrapped tightly around a nearby branch.

"Of course you can!" Kíli insisted, coming closer.

"The branch is creaking-"

"The branch is fine!"

Reluctantly, Fíli let go of the branch and grasped Kíli's hand.

"Just follow me and we'll be fine." Kíli smiled.

Fíli nodded shakily, gripping Kíli's forearm with an iron hold. With the professional ability of a true tree climber, Kíli led them both to the end of the tree, right next to where the company were waiting.

Fíli got down first, helped in his clumsy movements by Thorin and Dwalin, while Kíli sprang down, and shook his head wildly.

Instantly, Bilbo was there and he embraced Kíli fiercely. "Oh…Kíli…Are you alright?"

"I'm fine..." Kíli smiled weakly, trying to regain his breath. "Fíli?"

"I'm alright..." The blond dwarf's voice was little more than a whisper and Kíli stumbled over to his brother, who was sitting on the floor with his head between his knees.

The other dwarves turned away, with the exception of Thorin and Óin.

"Kíli, are you hurt?" Thorin demanded, a strange look in his eyes.

"No, I'm fine." Kíli repeated, flopping down next to Fíli.

"We will rest here a minute." Thorin ordered, patting Fíli on the shoulder and standing up. "I will be back in a moment."

As he walked away, spoke quietly to Bilbo. Kíli watched curiously as Bilbo glanced at him with worry before nodding and following Thorin away.

"Kíli, I am sorry..." Fíli murmured without moving his head from his knees.

"What for?" Kíli asked, baffled, and Fíli looked at him with haunted eyes.

"I did not _think_ - I panicked, and you could have died..."

"It wasn't your fault!" Kíli insisted, putting a hand on Fíli's arm. "So you panicked, that happens sometimes...what does it matter?"

"We're trained _not _to panic, Kíli! I should have known better, if I had just thought about things the way I was trained..."

"Oh, stop it!" Kíli scoffed. "We're alive, and we're alright so it doesn't matter."

"It matters." Fíli all but growled, gripping Kíli's hand painfully tightly. "You don't understand!"

As Kíli winced slightly Fíli looked down and instantly let go of his brother's hand, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry..."

"You're right, I don't understand. If you explain it to me, maybe I can. I'm not as dumb as I look."

Fíli did not smile, and he sighed heavily, looking at Kíli. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"Nope." Kíli grinned, nudging Fíli gently.

The older brother sighed, and looked at the floor again. "I...I let you go. I tried so hard to protect you but all I ever do is put you in more danger."

_"They both blame themselves, for what happened all those years ago… Fíli blames himself for not being able to hold onto you."_

"And now…I've had training, experience, you've had nothing, but _I _put _your _life in danger…" Fíli shook his head.

"Fíli, I still don't understand entirely." Kíli said quietly. "You're blaming yourself for situations out of your control."

Fíli looked back at Kíli, his eyes burning with guilt. "I'm so sorry. Kee, I'm sorry for everything!"

Kíli smiled softly, knowing that only three words could truly make Fíli feel remotely better. "I forgive you."

Fíli's mouth dropped open, and then he slowly smiled. "Thank you, nadadith."

"You're welcome." Kíli responded, slinging his arm around his brother. "You do know what comes now, don't you?"

When Fíli frowned, Kíli grinned. "A good few hours of watching Bilbo try - and fail - to not act like a fussy mother hen."

Fíli laughed, coughing a little. "Thank you, Kíli. Thank you for saving my life."

"Anytime." Kíli laughed, before promising sincerely. "Honestly, Fíli… Anytime."

Fíli smiled sadly, taking a deep breath. "Are you alright?"

Kíli rolled his eyes. "I am _fine _yes."

They both stood up and Fíli nodded at Thorin.

"Move out!" Thorin ordered. "And _be careful!" _

The company moved on slowly, and as soon as the path widened Bilbo joined Kíli, speaking very quietly.

"Are you certain that you're alright?"

"I'm positive, Bilbo." Kíli shot his most innocent smile at Bilbo, who rolled his eyes.

"I'm proud of you." he murmured quietly.

"Thank you…" Kíli smiled. "I told you that practising swimming would be a good idea."

"That you did." Bilbo admitted. "Wasn't that the only thing Esme wouldn't do?"

"Yes… We even got Drogo and Prim swimming and now they go off rowing every few months, but Esme was too afraid to even dip her toe in. Oh, we never let her live that down…" Kíli sighed wistfully. He shook his head and tried to distract himself. "So what did Thorin say to you?"

To his surprise, Bilbo looked a little agitated. "Oh…uh…nothing. I think he just wanted to give you and Fíli some space…"

"Oh, alright." Kíli mused.

That evening, to everyone's immense delight, Gandalf directed them to a large, dry cave. Soon, Glóin and Óin had a roaring fire going, and there was more laughter and storytelling than there had been in days.

As Kíli leant against the wall of the cave, Thorin sat down next to him, speaking so quietly that Kíli knew he would be the only one to hear Thorin's words.

"I am very proud of you, Kíli, and very grateful. You were very brave today."

Kíli smiled a little. "Thank you."

"I mean it." Thorin insisted, putting a hand on Kíli's shoulder. "I'm very proud of you."

Kíli smiled again and nodded.

Thorin looked as if he wanted to say something else, but he just smiled weakly and walked away.

He watched Kíli laugh with the others, and he watched Kíli snuggle down between Fíli and the hobbit. He watched Kíli drift off to sleep quickly, and he barely noticed the rest of the company doing the same.

He watched his nephew's chest rise and fall, and he felt tears fighting to escape from his eyes.

Thorin took a deep breath.

He wanted to say it, but he could not. He had long since lost access to such words, and he felt so lost.

Kíli had no idea how much he meant to Thorin – how could he?

Thorin wished he was more like his sister. Dís was very expressive, she would know what to say, what to do.

Why were the words 'I love you' so difficult to say?

**Aw, poor Thorin! **

**I hope everyone was in character! **

**Any suggestions of what you want to see next in amongst a trio of trolls? :P **

**Thanks for reading, see you soon :P**


	10. Chapter 10: Sing For Your Supper

**Wow, thanks for such a great response to the last chapter :) Thank you all so much! **

**The ideas I got were all awesome, so I tried to incorporate as many as possible, along with a couple of my own ;) **

**I am very sorry about the wait – I spent the last week up in Cumbria with no internet, so I hope that I didn't lose momentum for this :( good news is that the next chapter is almost done! **

**Without further ado, Read, Enjoy, Review! **

**Chapter Ten # Sing for your Supper #**

"…and dodge, duck – _strike_!"

Kíli swung Thorin's sword at Fíli, trying to follow Dwalin's barked instructions, practising a single manoeuvre for the twelfth time. To his surprise, his sword found its mark and collided with Fíli's with a clang.

"Ha ha!" he cried in shocked triumph.

"Twist!" Dwalin roared, and Kíli did so, sending his brother's sword clattering to the floor. The warrior cheered. "Thatta boy!"

"Ha, I did it!" Kíli laughed, and Fíli shook his head with a smile.

"You did. Now, let's do it again."

Kíli groaned, hefting the sword up again. "This is even more tiring than ploughing!"

That distracted Fíli. "You _plough?" _

"Not regularly, but I've helped to do it before." Kíli nodded.

"He wasn't given a choice." Bilbo interjected. "That's what you get when you steal a field full of potatoes from Farmer Maggot…"

Kíli pulled a face and Fíli laughed brightly, before lunging at his brother again as Dwalin yelled out instructions again.

The drill continued until Kíli had disarmed his brother over fifty times to ensure that the sequence of moves was engrained in his mind, and as soon as they had finished Thorin sent them both to relieve Bifur and Bofur from their duty to care for the ponies.

Their uncle just argued with the fuming Gandalf, who had stormed away, so the two brothers walked to the ponies with no fuss whatsoever. Though he was only just starting to get used to Thorin's passionate mood swings, Kíli knew that the likelihood of his receiving a lesson in Khuzdul that night was low.

Fíli cast a sideways glance at his brother as Bifur and Bofur returned to the main camp. "You're improving, you know."

"I know." Kíli grinned smugly, before pausing. "I sense a 'but'."

_"But, _you'll have to keep working this hard to keep up the improvement." Fíli said seriously, and Kíli studied his brother's eyes, trying to read their expression.

"And you think that I _need_ to keep up the improvement to be able to survive… It's alright, I know that Dwalin and Balin do, and some of the others. Most of the others actually, and you're probably all right. I know better than to get offended by the opinion of masters of a subject I know nothing about." He assured his brother. "Do you think I'll stop working hard?"

"I did." Fíli shrugged. "I gained confidence and I decided that I did not need to keep working as hard, I was already ahead of the class…my wake-up call was rather…abrupt."

"I see." Kíli mused, rubbing his chin absently as he thought. "Fíli, will Bilbo be alright? He hasn't had any training – not that he'd want it, but…"

Fíli grinned. "We'll look after your hobbit, Kíli."

That was good enough for the brunette, who gave his brother a playful salute. For a few minutes they sat in companionable silence, before Fíli started to speak a little hesitantly.

"Kíli, something's been bothering me. Does no one in the Shire own a weapon?"

Scraping his hair away from his face and into a high ponytail, Kíli shrugged. "A few Tooks own bows, mainly for hunting, and of course people have axes for wood chopping and the like, but that's about it. Why?"

"What would happen if it fell under attack?"

Kíli stiffened, his hands freezing in place as they tied a length of string around the ponytail. After a moment, he remembered how to speak. "Attack?"

"Yes…" Fíli asked softly.

Kíli dropped his hair and stared at his brother. "I…It never has been under attack…Why wouldanyone attack the _Shire_?"

Fíli shrugged almost apologetically. "Some do not need a motive."

"You mean orcs?" Kíli guessed, trying to hide his growing agitation.

"Orcs, goblins…bandits, outlaws…"

Swallowing, Kíli shook his head as images of Bag End burning flashed before his eyes. He tried to scoff. "No one would attack the Shire!"

Apparently recognising Kíli's attempts to reassure himself, Fíli smiled softly. "Of course not."

"But…Fíli, if they _did…_if someone did… We would…It would be hopeless! No one would be able to do anything about it!" Kíli's mouth felt dry as the fear of his home being attacked began to consume him.

Fíli winced. "I'm sorry, Kíli, I didn't mean…"

"I know…" Kíli took a deep breath. "It's fine, I just… I have never thought about the vulnerability of home before…"

Fíli was quiet for a moment, and at first Kíli thought that it was due to their conversation, but then Fíli stiffened and held up a hand to motion for his brother's silence.

Instantly Kíli's keen eyes scoured the forest until Fíli suddenly pulled him down to hide behind the log they were perched on. The breath left Kíli's chest in a huff as he landed on a great big rock, and Fíli jabbed him.

Kíli's eyes widened as the ground began to shake with the heavy footsteps of something big, and he looked around intently. As the thing grunted, he heard the sound of a tree being ripped up by the roots and his hobbit upbringing sprang to life. As silent as night, he disappeared into the underbrush both to run and to get a better look, ignoring Fíli's desperate beckons for him to return.

Creeping through the dense greenery as effectively as a hobbit, Kíli froze like one.

It was a troll.

A troll.

Half a dozen swear words passed through Kíli's mind as he watched the thing carry away two of the ponies, and as soon as he judged it safe he ran back to Fíli.

"It's a troll!"

"That was the most idiotic thing I've ever seen you do!" Fíli hissed, and Kíli recoiled.

"I was not going to be _seen_-"

"How did you know that?" Fíli spat, and Kíli felt his cheeks burning in anger.

"How did I know? _How did I know?_ I may not be able to fight, Fíli, but I'm not useless. There are things I can do very well, and there are things I can do better than you can - I know how to go about unseen, _especially _in the woods!"

Fíli closed his eyes and shook his head. "We can argue about this later, now we need to tell Thorin."

"Tell Thorin what?"

Kíli whirled around. "Bilbo…two of the ponies just got kidnapped by a troll!"

Startled, the hobbit almost dropped the food he was carrying. "A troll?"

"Yes, a troll, I saw it!"

"Well then, we most definitely should tell Thorin!" Bilbo declared with a nervous laugh, his eyes fluttering in the direction the troll had so obviously taken.

"What if there are more? Shouldn't we tell Thorin as much as we can?" Kíli offered, looking in the same direction.

Fíli opened his mouth but Bilbo interjected. "Absolutely not. You are _not _scouting after a troll, Kíli. No."

Kíli sighed. "Well _someone _should stay with the ponies-"

"I will!" Bilbo stated, though he looked absolutely terrified. "Go! And _please _be quick."

Kíli's heart fell as his plan crumbled. "Bilbo…"

"We will be quick." Fíli informed the hobbit, grabbing Kíli's wrist and pulling him away.

"How old do you think I am?" Kíli rolled his eyes, tugging his wrist out of Fíli's grasp as they started to jog.

"Seventy-seven. Now come on-"

A startled scream ripped through the air and Kíli gasped, whirling around. "Bilbo! No!"

"No!" Fíli yelled, grabbing his brother's arm again as Kíli started back.

Kíli turned to his brother with a fierce snarl. "No? _No? _Bilbo's in trouble, did you not hear him?"

"I did, which is _precisely_ why you can't go back!"

Furious and terrified, Kíli's eyes widened. "What? Bilbo-"

"Has been discovered, obviously! You think you can sneak where he can't? We need help, Kíli, you need to get help! I will go after Bilbo." Fíli's voice was so calm as he put a hand on Fíli's arm.

"N- what?" Kíli felt tears prickling his eyes but he was too afraid to be embarrassed.

Fíli unsheathed his sword. "I will go after Bilbo, I won't let anything happen to him, but you _have _to get help, Kíli. Run, as fast as you can, and get Thorin and the others."

Torn, Kíli glanced back over his shoulder, a part of him begging Bilbo to scream again just so that he knew his father was alive. "I can't run-"

"Yes you can, Kíli! _I _can't fight a troll, _you_ have no chance!"

"Then what are you going to do?" Kíli cried.

"Improvise." Fíli was already running back the way they had come. "Kíli, run!"

Kíli nodded desperately and ran. He ran faster than he had ever run in his life, ignoring the scratching branches of the trees and undergrowth, cursing Thorin's decision to keep the ponies so far away.

"Help!" he yelled as he saw their camp after less than three minutes of eternity. "Help!"

"What's wrong?" Dwalin demanded immediately as several dwarves sprung to their feet.

"Trolls!" Kíli cried, barely pausing to take a breath. "There was a troll and we hid and it took two ponies and then Bilbo arrived and said he would stay at with the ponies while we got help and Bilbo screamed and Fíli told me to get help!"

Thorin barely even hesitated. "Du _bekar_!"

Kíli watched as the dwarves each lurched for their weapons. His heart was beating in a pattern that rang into his ears.

_Ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump... _

_Bil-bo, Bil-bo, Bil-bo…_

"Kíli!"

The young dwarf blinked out of his reverie as Thorin's hand clamped onto his shoulder. "Yes?"

"Stay here."

"What, no!" Kíli cried angrily. "I can't, I can help!"

Thorin's eyes flashed dangerously and Kíli's own eyes widened fearfully. "You _will _stay here!"

Kíli nodded mutely, and Thorin pressed a small knife into his hand, before leaving without a word.

Bofur was the only one to cast back an apologetic look at Kíli, who was left standing alone in an abandoned campsite.

Kíli's breathing all but stopped as he wrapped an arm around his stomach.

He had never felt such crippling terror in his life. When he had plunged into the river after Fíli, he had known exactly what to do, and it had all happened too quickly to be truly terrified.

Now Kíli had to sit there and do absolutely nothing.

He managed to do it for about half an hour.

In that half an hour he heard battle cries and he heard silence.

The only thing that kept Kíli in place was a dying prayer that Gandalf would return, and that the wizard Bilbo held so much stock in would save the day, but finally it was not enough.

Kíli crept into the forest, removing his shoes to ensure his silence, and made his way back to the ponies, before following the footprints of the trolls towards a nearby fire.

He could hear the dwarves cursing and shouting, so he guessed that the battle had not gone quite to plan.

Trusting his instincts, Kíli climbed a tree until he got a glimpse of a sight that made his stomach churn.

Bifur, Bofur, Dori, Ori, Nori, and Dwalin were tied to a spit above a roaring fire that was being turned by three huge trolls.

Desperately, Kíli's eyes searched for the others, and he soon found them, stuffed in sacks in a pile on the floor.

_There's Fíli…_ he thought with relief, _Thorin, Óin, Glóin and Balin… _

_Bilbo. Where's Bilbo? _

"Are they cooked yet?" he smallest troll whined, and Kíli's fears were confirmed. They were going to eat the dwarves.

And he still had not seen Bilbo.

His imagination automatically jumped to the most horrifying conclusion, that he was too late and that the troll's had already…

_No, no, no…don't even think it! _He ordered himself. _Bilbo's not…Bilbo's fine, he's just-_

Bombur shifted and a mop of curly hair came into Kíli's view.

Kíli sagged with relief.

Bilbo was alive. They were all alive.

Now all he had to do was come up with a plan.

"They'll be done when they're done!" The troll with the ladle replied, poking at Dwalin with a big stick.

As the warrior yelled and cursed, Kíli's mind raced.

_Plan, plan, I need a plan, a plan…_

"Wait! You're making a terrible mistake!" Bilbo cried.

Kíli's heart pounded as Dori and Bofur said something about half-wits.

"I uh, I meant about the seasoning!"

_Bilbo, don't draw attention to yoursel- seasoning?_

"What about the seasoning?" the troll with the ladle questioned in a thick voice.

Kíli could practically see Bilbo's mind whirling as he answered. "Well, have you smelt them? You'll need something a lot stronger than sage before you plate this lot up!"

As the dwarves started to protest, Kíli grinned. _Yes… That's it Bilbo, play for time…_

The other troll swung its wicked knife in Bilbo's face and Kíli swallowed. "What would you know about cooking dwarf?"

The trolls started arguing among themselves, but then the knife jabbed Bilbo in the chest and Kíli's heart stammered.

"If you know so much about cooking dwarf, tell us what you know _right now _or I'll cook you first!"

Bilbo's eyes widened and he swallowed, opening his mouth.

For a single moment, Kíli watched his father stammer wordlessly, but before the troll could do any damage, the young dwarf did the only thing he could think of and opened his mouth.

_"Oh you can search far and wide; you can drink the whole town dry-"_

The entire scene before him halted and Kíli scrambled down from the tree before he could be seen, continuing his song as he dexterously danced through the shadows.

_"But you'll never find a beer so brown…." _

"Who's singing?" the smallest troll demanded.

"It's not us!" Bofur called.

_"Oh you'll never find a beer so brown…" _Kíli sang, happy that his distraction seemed to be working.

The dwarves all began to take up Bofur's tune.

"Who _is _that?" Dwalin demanded angrily and Bilbo looked around in fear.

"It's the- oh no, it simply couldn't be!" the hobbit cried.

"Couldn't be the what?" a troll demanded.

Kíli ducked a large bush. _"As the one we drink in our hometown!"_

Bilbo shook his head. "Oh no, even to say such a thing brings bad luck!"

Kíli spied his target and skipped towards it. _"You can keep your fancy ales-"_

"What a terrible voice!" Fíli howled, and Kíli tried desperately not to laugh.

_"You can drink them by the flagon!" _Kíli began to climb up the huge, crumbling boulder, glancing over his shoulder at the sunrise.

"There!" the cooking troll yelled as Kíli stood atop the rock.

Kíli spread his arms out wide. _"But the only brew for the brave and true-"_

"It's another dwarf!" the little troll squeaked.

Kíli grinned devilishly down at the trolls, dancing a little jig as he finished his song with a flourish.

_"Rum from the Green Dragon!" _

"Grab him!" the troll with the knife roared, lurching forwards.

Kíli stuck out his tongue out and rolled away with ease as the creature's giant hands smashed the rock where he had been just moments before.

Bilbo let out a warning yell as the troll brought its knife down towards Kíli's head, reaching for his legs at the same time.

Kíli pushed himself backwards, falling off of the boulder with a startled yelp.

Angrily, the troll hit the rock again, which was what Kíli had counted on. The already weak boulder crumbled and split in two and sunlight poured through into the clearing.

The trolls writhed and screamed, their skin hardening and cracking as the glorious sunlight turned their skin to stone.

Propping himself up on bleeding elbows, Kíli gave a breathless laugh. "Well…that wasn't so hard…"

"Ha ha!" Bofur cried joyfully. "You cheeky little scamp! Bless you, laddie!"

Tapping an imaginary hat Kíli grinned and scrambled to his feet.

"Is anyone hurt?" he asked, automatically looking towards Bilbo as he rubbed his stinging elbow.

"Just get us down!" Dori cried, the flames leaping towards his red face.

"How?" Kíli asked a little frantically.

"I can help you there."

"Gandalf!"

"So _now _he arrives…" Kíli muttered under his breath, before following the wizard's instructions and releasing the dwarves.

As soon as everyone was free, Thorin put a hand on Kíli's shoulder, his face stern. "I thought I told you to stay in the camp."

"You did." Kíli admitted, and Thorin smiled.

"Despite disobeying my orders, you saved us, Kíli and you have made me proud once again. However, if you are to continue this quest until its end, you must learn that orders are to be obeyed. I do not make them lightly, though from now on I will do my best not to underestimate you again."

"Thank you…I understand, Thorin." Kíli bowed his head. "I'm sorry."

As Thorin nodded back and walked away, Kíli was mobbed by the company, who began patting him on the back and congratulating him on his quick thinking. He felt like a hero amidst the laughter and the thanks.

It was a nice feeling.

"Well _done, _little brother!" Fíli laughed his way through the throng, managing to wrestle him into a headlock. "I thought we were done for!"

"So did I!" Kíli laughed, wiggling out of the blonde's grip.

"Who wants to get dressed?" Thorin called, holding up the three sacks of clothing that the trolls had confiscated.

The dwarves let out a mighty cheer and charged over to get dressed, leaving Kíli with Bilbo for a moment.

"Bilbo!" Kíli grabbed his hobbit and hugged him tightly before he could say anything.

"Well done, Kíli…" The dwarf could hear the smile in Bilbo's reply.

Kíli's eyes squeezed closed. "I thought…when you yelled…"

"I'm fine… I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and had a choice between being seen and being squashed. I picked being seen. It caught me by surprise, suddenly being dangling upside down, but I'm not hurt, Kíli, I'm fine." Bilbo said soothingly, rubbing Kíli's shoulder for a moment.

"Good!"

Bilbo pulled away and put a hand on Kíli's shoulder far more gently than Thorin did. "I'm very proud of you. Again. The _Green Dragon _was a nice touch."

"Merry will be pleased." Kíli laughed.

"Oh, most definitely." Bilbo chuckled.

"What would you have said I was? You said it was bad luck to even say it…?"

"I don't know…" Bilbo laughed, looking up as Gandalf approached the Bagginses.

"You were late." Kíli scolded the wizard lightly, and Gandalf raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, I arrived here in good time, but Bilbo already seemed to have the situation under control. I decided to let you have your moment."

"Let me have my…?" Kíli shook his baffled head.

"You did very well." Gandalf added, and Kíli smiled back.

"Thank you."

"I found it!" Glóin called.

"Found what?" Bilbo frowned.

"The troll hoard!" Gandalf announced, rubbing his hands together. "Let's go and take a look, shall we?"

When they reached the cave, however, Kíli's nose warned him away. Instead he sat down on a nearby tree trunk, yawned and closed his eyes.

Instantly, he heard someone sit down next to him. "Tired, brother?"

Kíli made an affirmative grunt, not bothering to answer properly.

"That makes two of us." Fíli murmured, and Kíli leant sideways, sinking into his brother's arm.

"Wake me up when we're moving." Kíli managed to mutter, and Fíli shifted, putting his arm around Kíli's shoulders, cushioning his head and neck.

"Alright…are you comfortable?"

Kíli grinned. "Yes, thank you."

"No problem." Fíli replied simply.

Surprisingly, Kíli did snooze for a moment, but it was only minutes later when Fíli was shaking him awake. Kíli groaned. Getting absolutely no sleep whatsoever did not agree with him.

"Kíli."

The young dwarf leapt to his feet, blinking at Thorin. "I'm awake!"

Thorin gave him a wry smile. "Here."

With a confused frown, Kíli took Thorin's sword.

"When a dwarf is trained under usual circumstances, they train with a different blade in each session to maximise the range of weapons that they can use. However, in circumstances such as this, when training is commenced in a dangerous situation, it is more important for the trainee to be able to defend themselves than anything else. You have only ever trained with this sword, so now I have made the decision to give you Deathless, Kíli."

"Wh…what?" Kíli gasped. "I can't…"

"We found several excellent swords in the troll hoard. If I had my way, you would have a new sword of your own, but your survival is far more important. It will be much easier for you to continue training and wielding Deathless while we are still on the road." Thorin explained, handing over a scabbard and a belt.

"Thank you!" Kíli murmured, running his hands over the blade in awe. "Thorin, thank you!"

Thorin smiled. "You are most welcome."

"Something's coming!" Fíli yelled, and Thorin whipped around.

"Ready yourself!" he ordered, and Kíli swallowed, gripping his sword.

They charged back to the others but Gandalf had already diffused the tension.

"Radagast! What on earth are you doing here?"

As the two wizards struck up a conversation, something in Bilbo's hand caught Kíli's eye.

"You have a sword."

"I suppose I do." Bilbo nodded. "I see that you do, too."

"Thorin gave me his." Kíli mumbled, his voice filled with awe.

"Really?" The hobbit gaped. "That is…well…"

"What do you think is wrong with that wizard?" Kíli whispered to Bilbo with a cheeky grin.

"I have no idea, but if he pulls any more insects out of any more places I shall not be amused." Bilbo joked back, and the two snickered like children.

"I am so tired…" Kíli admitted with a yawn. "Oh, Bilbo…"

"I'm sure that Thorin will stop soon enough, no one got any sleep at all last night." Bilbo said calmly, and Kíli smiled, sheathing his sword.

His sword.

Kíli Baggins had a sword.

Bilbo smiled with pride as he looked at Kíli. The young dwarf was growing, he could see it easily, but his loyalty and love for Bilbo had not waned at all. Bilbo felt guilty for ever believing that it would.

Suddenly, a spine-tingling howl ripped through the clearing, making the odd little wizard whimper and making Bilbo grip Kíli's wrist tightly.

"Was that a wolf? Are there wolves here?" he stammered, his mind racing as images of the Fell Winter filled his mind.

Bilbo had been only nine years old at the time, but he had seen his best friend ripped apart by wild wolves attacking the Shire, and ever since the mere thought of the creatures sent chills down his spine.

"That's not a wolf…" Bofur trembled.

Bilbo swallowed, barely noticing as his fingers dug into Kíli's wrist.

A low growl drew his attention up to where a huge wolf like head was growling down at them. Bilbo gaped as the warg leapt down, but fortunately Kíli's instincts were far better, and he took the creature down with one arrow.

Another warg leapt down from the trees, but Thorin ripped its throat out instantly with a single swipe of his sword.

"Warg scouts! Which means an orc pack is not far behind." He growled.

"Orc _pack_?" _Oh, this cannot be happening. _

"We have to get out of here!" Dwalin interrupted.

Ori ran up, sheer panic on his young face. "The ponies, they bolted!"

"What?" Kíli cried. "Now what do we do?"

"I'll draw them off!" The brown wizard volunteered, and with a Gandalf gave a grim nod.

The next thing Bilbo knew, he was following the dwarves in some horrendous chase through uneven hills. Each step blurred together and he barely noticed that they had stopped until he felt Kíli's hand on his arm, pushing him back against a hug rock. He looked up at Kíli and nodded gratefully.

Bilbo watched as Thorin nudged Kíli meaningfully. His heart pounded heavily as Kíli braced himself, before taking a step forward and shooting a growling warg in the neck.

With a thundering crash and howl, the creature tumbled down, and for the first time in his life Bilbo found himself staring eye to eye with an orc.

For a second at least, before Bifur speared it through the throat and silenced it, two seconds too late.

"Run!" Gandalf yelled, and once again they were running and Bilbo was putting foot after foot after foot.

"There they are!" Dwalin yelled suddenly and Bilbo gasped.

Prowling towards them, were three huge wargs and riders. As he whirled around, Bilbo realised what Bofur yelled out.

"We're surrounded!"

Bilbo swallowed.

"Stand your ground!" Thorin ordered, and Bilbo pulled out the little blue sword Gandalf had given him.

The sword trembled in his shaking hands, and his mind was bombarded with visions of a very possible future, a future where he saw Kíli ripped apart before his eyes, a future where he was torn limb from limb after watching his son die.

"Kíli, shoot them!" Thorin yelled, and Bilbo was sure that he could discern fear in the leader's call.

His son needed no further prompting and began to shoot arrow after arrow. Terror filled every fraction of every moment for Bilbo until Gandalf roared out.

"This way, you fools!"

Bilbo whirled around to see the wizard disappearing behind a boulder, and the next thing that he knew, Bofur dragged him towards it and he was tumbling down a tunnel.

He quickly scrambled to his feet and pressed himself against the wall in case he was crushed by the falling dwarves.

Thorin roared from above and Bilbo's heart all but stopped.

"No - Kíli, _run_!"

**I hope that makes up for the wait :)**

**In response to some questions I received last chapter, there will be no slash pairings in this fic (so no Bagginshield or anything) As it stands, I don't see there being much romance in here at all but that may change towards the end, we'll see how we go! **

**So, please drop a review if you'd like, the next chapter should be up tomorrow or the next day to make up for this ridiculous wait! **

**Thanks for reading! **


	11. Chapter 11: Lost In Translation

**Sooo, here we are, as promised another chapter quickly up to make up for the wait! Thank you so much for all your lovely reviews, I hope you enjoy this one. **

**A note to a guest who wanted more other character POV – thank you so much for reviewing, I will try and put some more variation in the rest of the story, but this chapter was already written :)**

**Also, Rebecca kindly pointed out a mistake in the Green Dragon song :) Sorry about that, but I had to write the song from memory when I wrote the chapter due to a lack of internet, so yeah :)**

**Anyway, on with the story. **

**Read. Enjoy. Review. **

**Chapter Eleven # Lost In Translation #**

"No – Kíli, run!"

"Come on, Kíli!" Fíli yelled in fear as a huge warg pounded towards his brother, coming closer and closer by the moment.

"Fíli, go!" Kíli cried as he turned and fled towards the blond dwarf, terror shining in his eyes, but Fíli shook his head, whipping a knife from his belt.

Within a fraction of a second he aimed and drew back his arm. If he were any less certain of his abilities he would not have dared to let go of his knife, but Fíli knew that there was no chance that he would hit his brother.

He hurled his blade through the air, missing Kíli by a good few inches. The knife embedded in the face of his brother's would-be-attacker and knocked the dead orc clean off its warg. His victory was short lived, however, as the warg began to gain on Kíli even further without the weight of its rider.

_"Fíli, Kíli!" _Thorin roared, and Fíli could read the panic in his voice as the warg opened its jaws right behind a sprinting Kíli.

"Argh!" Kíli gritted his teeth as he pounded closer to Fíli, who stretched out his hand.

"Come _on, _Kíli!" The moment he judged brother as within reached forward and grabbed Kíli's arm, swinging him around and all but throwing him down the hole before sliding down himself.

The moment they touched the ground, Thorin followed them in, pushing them both further back towards the others and guarding the entire company. The warg smashed in after them, but it could not get in past its gnashing jaw, and Thorin was quick to thrust Orcrist into the vile beast's snout.

Fíli watched Kíli lean against the side of the cave and take several deep breaths, his bow still gripped in his hand.

A strange horn met Fíli's ears and he exchanged glances with Dwalin. An orc fell into the cave, kicking and squalling and Thorin beheaded it quickly, before ripping an arrow out of the orc's chest.

"Elves!"

Fíli glanced at the thin slither of sunlight with a surge of guilty relief. Elves may have been treacherous weed-eating exhibitionists, but their hatred of orcs was far stronger than their hatred of elves, so Fíli knew that their attackers stood no chance.

They had been saved, and whether Thorin had the good grace to see it or not Fíli was grateful.

He turned to his brother. "That was close…"

Kíli nodded with a slight grin and another deep breath. "Too close…"

Fíli laughed breathlessly as Bilbo swatted Kíli's arm.

"At this rate you'll be giving me a heart attack before we reach the _Misty _Mountains, you stupid little fool." The hobbit joked, though his face looked strained to Fíli.

"I'm sorry, Bilbo." Kíli replied honestly and Fíli smiled.

He liked the hobbit. Bilbo Baggins was friendly and he was funny, but more importantly he seemed to care more about Kíli than anything else in Middle Earth, and if Fíli knew his brother as well as he thought he did, he knew that the feeling was reciprocated.

"I cannot see where the pathway leads; do we follow it or no?" Dwalin yelled, and Thorin nodded with grim reluctance.

"Lead on, Dwalin."

"Where _does _this pathway lead, do you think?" Kíli murmured to Bilbo, who shrugged.

"As long as it leads away from the orcs, I'm happy."

Fíli snorted softly, and subtly herded the hobbit and his brother in front of him, before squeezing into the thin tunnel himself. Several times Fíli's swords got stuck between two inconveniently placed rocks and he wondered just how exactly Bombur was managing to fit through.

Finally, Kíli and Bilbo spilt out into the sunlight and Fíli followed, staring at the sight that had taken his brother's breath away. His heart sank.

"The valley of Imladris." Gandalf announced cheerfully as Thorin followed Fíli onto the ledge. "In the Common Tongue it is known by a different name."

"Rivendell…" Bilbo murmured, and Kíli gave a small smile.

"It's beautiful…"

"I suppose it is, for _elves_." Fíli cut across his brother and drawled out the last word with a hint of repulsion, well aware of his uncle arguing with the wizard in the background. He knew that Thorin did not have such a favourable opinion of the hobbit, and with the mood his uncle was in, Bilbo would do well not to draw attention to his tolerance of elves.

He was a little shocked when Kíli sent him a strange look of what appeared to be a combination of disappointment and even disgust. Fíli recoiled inside at the look, but on the outside he managed to send a look of confusion – and nothing more – back at his brother.

"Come along, Fíli, Kíli…" Gandalf called in a deceivingly merry voice, and Kíli followed Bilbo, only breaking eye contact with Fíli only at the last second.

Confused, Fíli shook his head and followed his brother down the long windy path towards Rivendell. Silence swallowed the company's mutters as they passed between two statues of elf guards, and saw a tall elf descending towards Gandalf.

"Mithrandir…"

Fíli recognised the elves' name for Gandalf that preceded a whole babble of elvish nonsense.

"I must speak with Lord Elrond." Gandalf declared, and the elf inclined his head.

"My Lord Elrond is not here."

Before Gandalf could open his mouth, another horn sounded, and Fíli's keen ears picked up the sound of hoof beats on the smooth stone. There were horses coming their way – many horses.

He turned and watched as two dozen elven warriors rode towards them, and Thorin's bark met his ears quickly.

"Close ranks!"

Ignoring the shocked look on Kíli's face, Fíli flung his brother into the middle of the group along with Ori and Bilbo, and drew one of his swords, joining the threatening exterior as the horses began to circle them.

There was a good deal of growling and hissing from the dwarves and disdainful looks from the elves before the circling stopped.

"Gandalf…" A regal elf that Fíli took to be their leader addressed Gandalf with a wry smile.

"My Lord Elrond…" Gandalf smiled back, and the pair began speaking some more elvish babble before finally smiling.

"Welcome Thorin, son of Thráin."

Thorin bristled. "I do not believe we have met."

"You have your grandfather's bearing. I knew Thror, when he ruled under the mountain." The elf explained.

"Indeed…" Fíli could hear the tension beneath his uncle's voice. "He made no mention of you."

Fíli heard a slight hiss from behind him, so quiet that the others missed it and he glanced over his shoulder. Kíli looked like he was sucking a lemon.

Fíli's confusion grew as the elf raised an eyebrow and started to speak in elvish.

As per usual, Glóin jumped to the most likely conclusion. "Does he offer us insult?"

"He's offering us food and shelter." Kíli snapped, rubbing his forehead.

Fíli's eyes widened and he barely hid his gasp.

_He understood that. Kíli speaks elvish… Oh, no…_

The dwarves all went very still and Kíli stared pointedly at Gandalf, stubbornly refusing to meet the gaze of any of the dwarves. The elves all appeared to pick up on the attention and directed their curious gazes at Kíli.

"We would very much appreciate taking you up on that offer." Thorin ground out in a low voice, trying to draw attention away from Kíli.

Lord Elrond nodded and turned gracefully with a lingering look to Kíli. The dwarves began to follow him, but Kíli seemed to wait to walk at the back, and Fíli made sure to stay close to him. They walked through the halls of Rivendell until the elven lord paused.

"If you would wait here a moment…" Elrond bowed his head and Thorin returned the gesture.

"So you speak elvish." Fíli said quietly to Kíli as the elf walked away.

"I do." Kíli replied, staring Fíli in the eye, and the other dwarves turned around.

"You taught the boy _elvish _while he had no knowledge of his own tongue?" Dwalin growled at Bilbo, and instantly Kíli's eyes flashed dangerously.

"I _asked _to learn. Bilbo knows Sindarin, and I wanted to know too. When I arrived in the Shire I hated elves, but I had no idea why. Then I was judged as a threat because I was a dwarf _child, _and I swore that I would never judge another solely by their race, and I saw no reason why I should not learn elvish. It was not as though the Shire is full of Khuzdul grammar books – Sindarin literature is a lot easier to find. I am sorry if that offends you." Kíli managed to maintain a steely tone throughout, but Fíli thought that he could detect a quiver in Kíli's nervous eyes.

Fíli told his brother that he could not care less about his speaking elvish and that it made no difference to him, but he did not use that many words. Instead, he just clamped a hand on Kíli's arm and grinned at him. "Fair enough."

The grateful smile Kíli returned to him told Fíli that his words had got through, and he nodded slightly.

Thorin looked as though he wanted to say something, but at that moment the elves returned and the company returned to suspicious silence.

They were led through a beautiful courtyard to a table set full of various salads, and as they passed, Elrond looked at Kíli curiously.

Kíli averted his gaze from the elven lord's face, uncomfortable with the scrutinising gaze, but he quickly looked up when Lord Elrond addressed him in elvish.

_"Your kinsmen seemed surprised when you showed understanding of Sindarin, Master Dwarf." _

_"They did not know that I spoke it, my Lord." _Kíli replied, the dwarves' obvious discomfort _"I was raised in the Shire, by Bilbo Baggins." _

Elrond looked surprised. _"Indeed… I took you for Thorin's heir." _

_"I am, after my brother. He is my uncle." _Kíli replied, thoroughly shocked at Elrond's guess. _"Why did you take me for his heir?" _

The elf smiled gracefully. _"Your resemblance to Thorin is strong… Why was a dwarven prince raised in the Shire, may I ask?" _

_"When I was a child I fell into a river and woke up in the Shire with no memories. My family thought me dead and Bilbo raised me as his own. It was he who taught me elvish." _Kíli summarised uncomfortably.

Elrond inclined his head. _"That sounds like an interesting story." _

Kíli shrugged. _"There's not much else to tell." _

_"Indeed…" _Elrond did not look convinced, but he nodded anyway. _"I intend to offer your uncle a place at my own table, along with Mithrandir. Would you care to join us?" _

_"Oh, no thank you!" _Kíli shook his head, and took a small step backwards, unwilling to stand out even further. _"I appreciate your offer, my lord, but no thank you." _

Elrond bowed his head and turned to Thorin, and Kíli turned his face to the floor.

"That was unexpected." Fíli said in a low voice, but Kíli could hear the warmth in his tone beneath the confusion and he gave a little smile.

"What did he say to you?" Thorin asked Kíli gruffly as he passed.

Well aware that Elrond could hear no matter how quietly they spoke, Kíli looked Thorin dead in the eye. "He asked me how I came to speak elvish."

"I see…" Thorin fixed Kíli in a piercing stare and followed Elrond to the high table.

So his nephew spoke elvish. That was an interesting development. The politician within Thorin negotiated that it could come in handy, having a linguist amongst them, but the uncle overtook the sense with a burning rage.

Kíli knew more elvish than he did Khuzdul.

It was not right that a child of Durin should know more of the language of the 'fair' folk that had betrayed his kin over and over again, and the fury blamed Bilbo Baggins. Sense fought in the hobbit's favour, arguing that if Kíli had wanted to learn Master Baggins had no reason to deny him, but sense was not a thing that stayed long in Thorin's head when he was angry.

But if Thorin rounded on Bilbo Baggins, he would incur the wrath of his nephew, and that was the last thing that he wanted.

So instead he went and sat with Gandalf at the high table, nodding politely and wishing that he could be teaching Kíli Khuzdul instead.

To Fíli's relief down at the lower table, the others had the tact – or the hunger – to put aside Kíli's surprising skill to make way for complaints about the food.

"Where's the meat?" Dwalin questioned, looking more agitated by the moment.

"You don't think you could do anything with that impressive tongue of yours, do you laddie?" Bofur teased Kíli lightly, digging him in the ribs. Fíli appreciated the miner's simple show of support for his brother, and he gave him a quick smile to show it.

Kíli laughed, but then turned around and spoke some of the silvery tongue very politely to one of the stewards, who looked very surprised and mildly impressed, before going over to speak to Lord Elrond.

Bofur, who clearly had not expected Kíli to do anything about his light-hearted comment, raised his eyebrows. "And just what did you tell _him?" _

"I'll tell you if it works." Kíli winked playfully, and the friendly dwarf laughed.

"That's fair enough."

To Fíli's amazement, stewards began bringing meat and potatoes to the table not ten minutes later.

Kíli smiled angelically as the first steward placed a plate of fish in front of Bilbo and Balin. "Thank you."

"You are most welcome, Master Dwarf." The steward replied with a bow, before leaving the table.

"Alright, what did you say?" Bofur rounded on Kíli who laughed again.

"I told him that the vegetables were perfect and that I had not tasted cabbage so good in all my life, but asked him politely if it would be at all possible for the company to have any meat. I said not to worry if it would be inconvenient."

"Just like that?" Bofur blinked, and Kíli grinned.

"Just like that."

"It's called manners." Bilbo teased Bofur. "There're quite important in the Shire."

"Sounds like a dreadful place!" Bofur gave a mock shudder.

The mood greatly improved at the lower table from that moment on, and Fíli noted happily that not even Glóin, Óin or Dwalin seemed to remain bothered by Kíli's lack of hatred for the elves.

That did not, however, stop them from sitting Kíli down after the meal and giving him a long speech about all of the reasons why elves were not to be trusted.

Throughout the entire two hours Kíli remained still and attentive, his face as blank as stone, and he offered no protest until the end.

"I understand. There are elves who are greedy, treacherous, no good, boastful, stuck-up, rotten fools." Kíli nodded to emphasise his point. "I understand all of those wrongs, and those responsible should be held accountable for their reactions. But I stand by the fact that not _all _elves are like that – the description could just as easily describe the Sackville-Bagginses, or some of the few men I have met. And I would be willing to bet anything that it would fit some dwarves, as well. I won't judge an individual on the crimes of their race. The elves here have been hospitable to us – they did not _need _to give us free shelter and food, but they did. I see no reason to hate them. Distrust them maybe, at a push, but hate them…no."

Dwalin narrowed his eyes at Kíli, who returned the stare unflinching. Fíli smiled as the warrior grinned and clapped Kíli on the shoulder.

"That was a point well made, lad. I'm not saying I agree with you, not by a long way, but you stuck to your opinion well. You're as stubborn as your uncle."

"That's a compliment." Fíli added in a stage whisper, and the surrounding dwarves laughed.

Kíli smiled and gave Dwalin a look. "Do you think you could agree to disagree with me?"

Dwalin raised an eyebrow. "Aye…I think I could do that."

Mildly amazed, Fíli smiled and stood up. He needed to stretch his legs, and finding a bathroom might not have been a bad idea, either. Though he had nothing on Kíli, Fíli was fairly sneaky for a dwarf, so slipping unnoticed out of the room was easy enough.

_"Fíli? I didn't see you at dinner." _

_Fíli sniffed and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "That's because I wasn't there, Ama." _

_Dís smiled sadly. "Fíli, you have to eat."_

_"I can't!" Fíli protested weakly. "I can't!" _

_"You can… Kíli wouldn't want-"_

_"That's what everyone says, but I know Kíli more than they do! He's my brother; mine and I know what he would want!" _

_"And you truly believe that he would want you to waste away?" Dís asked seriously. _

_"No…" Fíli managed to hold himself together for about a second before collapsing into his mother's ready arms. "I want him back, Ama, I want Kíli back!" _

_"Oh I know, Khuzdith, I know…I do too, more than anything…" Dís murmured, rocking him backward and forward. _

_When the episode of tears eventually came to a close, Dís carried him downstairs and watched him eat a bowl of chicken broth. Mindless of the adults taking in the living room, Fíli walked past them to sit on the window ledge, pulling the curtains behind him. He knew they had not seen him. _

_There's Kíli's favourite place to run… he thought as he stared outside…there's the spot where I taught him to catch…_

_Dwalin's voice snapped him out of his reverie. "How is he, Dís?" _

_"I wish I could say that he was coping but…" _

_A strange sound met Fíli's ears and he heard a chair scraping back. _

_"Hey, hey, lass…" Dwalin murmured. _

_His mother's voice was muffled when it next spoke. "I'm sorry…" _

_"You have no reason to be." Dwalin insisted, and Fíli peeked through the tiny gap between the curtain and the wall. His mother's face was buried in Dwalin's shoulder and she was sobbing. _

_Sobbing. _

_"It's bad enough without…it's bad enough losing…I'm going to lose Fíli too, Dwalin, I know it! They were so close, and he…" Dís wept. "He's all but a ghost already." _

_"You're not going to lose Fíli…" _

_"How do you _know?" _Dís moaned. _

_"Because that child is one of the strongest lads I know, and he won't leave you alone in this hell, Dís." _

_Fíli swallowed and nodded. _

_That night, however, Fíli had a dream. He dreamt that he was a ghost, and that Kíli was too, and in his dream he talked to Kíli and Kíli was happy and fine and being looked after by Uncle Frerin. _

_When he woke up, a small part of Fíli clung to the dream. He ate, he talked and he did all of his chores. He hugged his mother and his uncle as much as he could and he poured his heart and soul into his lessons to divert the pain for a while. _

_However, as soon as he got a few moments to himself, Fíli would practise being a ghost. A large part of him knew that it was childish nonsense but Fíli practised walking as silent as the grave and slipping in and out of rooms unnoticed. If he was a ghost, he could talk to dead people. If he was a ghost, he could talk to Kíli. _

_If he was a ghost, he would never get lost. _

Fíli stopped short, blinking out of his memories. "Oh, by Durin's Beard…"

He was lost.

Clearly, he had walked much further than he had intended to while immersed in his daydream, and he had absolutely no idea if he was even allowed to be in this part of Rivendell. By now, his bladder was most definitely making itself known.

"You seem lost."

Fíli whirled around at the low female voice and almost gaped. The elf woman before him was one of the most beautiful non-dwarven beings he had ever seen, with long curling blonde hair and piercing blue eyes that were both warm and icy at the same time. She held herself with impossible grace, her long white dress dusting the floor around her ankles. Her beauty and poise gave her an ethereal quality that Fíli could not help but admire.

Remembering his etiquette, Fíli bowed deeply.

"I am, My Lady."

"You will find the room you seek on the third door to your right." She smiled gently, as though sharing a private joke with the slightly humiliated dwarf.

"Thank you, My Lady." Fíli bowed again, feeling very uncomfortable.

The she-elf's smile widened and she bowed her head. "Until next we meet, Fíli son of Dís."

With that, she slipped away into the dark so gracefully and quickly that for a moment Fíli wondered if she had even existed. Shaking his head slightly, he walked three doors down and peered into the room on his right. His eyes widened at the sight of the empty bathroom.

How on earth had the she-elf known what room he was looking for? The thought of it made him uncomfortable.

How had she known his name, come to think of it? Was she a sorceress? A witch?

Upon leaving the bathroom, Fíli realised that he was still lost. Turning back to the way he thought he had probably come from, he started to meander through the labyrinth of corridors until he reached an open courtyard.

To his right, a set of stairs curved up the wall to a mural that caught Fíli's attention. Contrasting to the gentile decorations of the rest of the place, it appeared to be depicting a battle. Ignoring the strong feeling that he should not be there, Fíli climbed the staircase to stare at the painting.

A man stood facing a monster, a broken sword his only weapon against his armour clad foe.

Fíli frowned in concentration until the particular history lesson swam back into his head.

"Isildur…" he murmured aloud, staring up at the dark helmet of Sauron. Wondering why the elves would have a single painting of an ancient war, Fíli turned. "Oh…"

A statue stood behind him, an elf maid with outstretched palms daring the admirer to stare at the object rested on her lap. A broken blade.

Fíli took a step closer. The pedestal was barely at his eye level and a step closer was all he took, but there was something breath-taking about being so close to a relic that had changed the world so drastically.

"Master Fíli…"

Fíli jumped and looked around. Lord Elrond stood at the bottom of the staircase, an amused expression on his face.

"I was informed that you had lost your way, but that you were causing no trouble." The elf began to climb the stairs as he finished speaking.

Fíli inclined his head, unsure of exactly what to say. "This sword… It belonged to Isildur's father, Elendil, did it not? It cut the ring from the hand of Sauron?"

Elrond paused. "It did indeed. Few people know now the story of the One Ring…"

"I had very good tutors." Fíli answered evenly.

The elf Lord nodded. "Indeed you must have had. That sword will remain there until the heir of Isildur returns to take his place as Gondor's rightful king."

Nodding absently, Fíli stared at the sword a moment longer.

"Shall we return to your kin, Master Fíli?" Lord Elrond asked easily, and Fíli nodded.

"Of course, my apologies."

"Do not apologise." Elrond smiled. "Whether your wanderings are due to curiosity or pure misfortune, you are most welcome to wander in Rivendell. It is my belief that your company shall linger here until the Midsummer's Eve at this week's end."

"Thank you." Fíli nodded awkwardly, following the elf down the stairs as he tried desperately not to feel like the small boy that would be brought home by a scolding adult from the latest escapade he had shared with his brother.

In an apparent effort to lessen the tension, Lord Elrond turned to Fíli. "Your brother has some interesting opinions on bigotry and xenophobia."

Fíli let out a little laugh. "He does…"

"He seems rather wise for his years." Lord Elrond gave Fíli a sideways look.

Fíli gave a reserved nod, smiling a little proudly. "He always has been."

"Indeed…" the elf lord nodded with a wry smile. "Here we are, Master Fíli. Your kin are just in that room."

Fíli nodded. "Thank you, Lord Elrond."

The elf bowed and Fíli slipped back into the room.

"Where have you been, lad?" Glóin asked with a raised eyebrow and Fíli smiled sheepishly.

"I got a little lost." He looked to the corner of the room, where Kíli and Thorin were having their daily Khuzdul lesson.

Thorin looked up for a moment and signalled to Balin, who took Fíli to the side.

"We took the map to Lord Elrond, against my better judgement." Fíli's tutor explained. "As it turns out, there are moon runes on the map that can only be read by a crescent moon and we have little choice but to linger here until Midsummer's Eve."

"I see…" Fíli mused. That did explain Elrond's words. "Where is Gandalf?"

Balin shook his head. "I don't know, laddie."

"He's talking with a she-elf, down the hall." Nori interrupted, stowing something that looked mysteriously like a candlestick into his nearby bag. "I saw 'em from the back. They sounded serious, but I didn't understand anything they said."

Fíli nodded and made his way to his own bedding roll. It had been a long day, a very long day, and he wanted nothing more than to sleep for a very, very long time.

He lay down and closed his eyes, and wearily succumbed to sleep.

**So, a wee bit of tension in the company there, maybe? **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I wonder who Fíli and Gandalf were talking to ;) **

**See you soon!**


	12. Chapter 12: Nights In Rivendell

**Eek! Thank you soooo much for the amazing response last chapter and welcome aboard to the surprising number of new readers! I'm so glad people still like this story, you make my day so often :P Anyways, here's the next chapter, I hope it's okay. It was hard for me to write but I'm pretty happy with it :P**

**Forgive any mistakes :P**

**Read. Enjoy. Review. **

**Chapter Twelve # Nights In Rivendell #**

Bilbo Baggins had been sneaking his entire life, and during his time in the wild his already sharp senses had sharpened further, so when he woke in the middle of the first night in Rivendell he knew that something had woken him.

He lay very still in the darkness, his ears twitching as they tried to discern what sound could have woken him. A slight shuffling sound preceded almost silent footsteps he instantly recognised as Kíli's.

Bilbo blinked a couple of times, his eyes growing accustomed to the moonlight as his son swam into focus.

The other dwarves were all fast asleep, by the sound of their snores, strewn across the large courtyard that had been given to them. Bilbo was more than a little disappointed that Thorin had declined Elrond's offer of bedrooms, though he was not surprised. The hobbit had heard the king-in-exile arguing with Gandalf in regards to keeping watch while they slept. Apparently, Gandalf had won that particular argument, because there was no one awake save for Bilbo and Kíli. Almost noiselessly, Kíli positioned his bedroll closer to Bilbo's and sank onto the floor, leaning against the wall and staring at the moon, which was pouring light into the room.

After a moment, Bilbo spoke quietly. "Where are you?"

Kíli jumped and looked up at Bilbo, smiling slightly. "I'm sorry, I woke you. I don't know where I am, Bilbo..."

"Well _I'm_ in Rivendell and its rather nice here..." Bilbo murmured in an overly light tone, mindful not to wake the dwarves.

"I'm in a place between two worlds, and I am not entirely sure how to get out of it."

Bilbo smiled wryly, though his heartstrings were tugged by Kíli's melancholy tone. "What can I do help?"

"You're doing it." Kíli smiled softly. "You're here."

"I always will be." Bilbo promised softly, and Kíli reached out to grab Bilbo's hand briefly.

"Thank you."

Bilbo smiled and nodded as Kíli lay down less than a metre away from him, closing his eyes and slipping into sleep.

_"Where's Rivendell?" Little Kíli asked, perched on Bilbo's knee. _

_"A decent way east of here, near the Misty Mountains." Bilbo pointed at the map spilling off of Kíli's lap. "It's where the elves live." _

_"I thought elves didn't like mountains…" Kíli mused, and Bilbo laughed. _

_"They don't like in the mountains, only near them. Elves much prefer the woods and the greenery to the tunnels and stone." Bilbo explained, drawing on his book-based knowledge. _

_Kíli mulled this over for a moment. "I think I like both best… But Bilbo, have you ever met an elf? A real one?" _

_"No, I haven't." Bilbo admitted, absently reaching for a poker to stoke the fire. "I would love to go to Rivendell…" _

_"Why?" _

_"Well, it's supposed to be very beautiful, and by all accounts the elves are excellent hosts. There's food and song and laughter to be found in Rivendell, Kíli." Bilbo described wistfully, and Kíli nodded thoughtfully. _

_"Will you go?" _

_Shocked, Bilbo laughed. "To Rivendell? Well, perhaps…though I doubt it." _

_"Why?" _

_ "Hobbits don't travel so far." Bilbo tickled Kíli lightly, warning him away from the 'why' game as he replied._

_Giggling, Kíli batted Bilbo's hands away and grinned at him cheekily. "Just like they don't adopt dwarves?" _

_"That is true…" Bilbo admitted with a smile. _

_"Would you take me? To Rivendell?"_

_"Of course I would." Bilbo smiled at the child in his lap, pressing a quick kiss onto Kíli's head. _

_Kíli smiled, snuggling back happily. "Good. I wouldn't want you to leave me here." _

It was ironic, that twenty odd years ago it had been Kíli who was afraid of being left behind, Bilbo mused as he watched Kíli's light doze transform into a heavy slumber. The paternal instinct that had grown and developed in Bilbo over the past two decades kept the exhausted hobbit awake until he was certain that Kíli was sleeping and safe, but soon Bilbo too succumbed to slumber.

When he woke again, it was much lighter, and he could see the sun through the window which informed him that it was almost noon. He sat up quickly, disconcerted by the lack of dwarves.

"Morning."

Bilbo's head turned slowly and he raised his eyebrow at Fíli and Kíli, who had just sung the greeting in unison. "Good morning."

"The others are, uh…exploring." Fíli said carefully, and Bilbo rubbed his chin, still staring at the two deceivingly innocent looking brothers.

"Exploring?"

"Aye…" Fíli said gravely.

Bilbo scrutinised Kíli's face in particular, knowing that it was far more likely to reveal secrets to him. "What have you done?"

"Done? Nothing, _we_ haven't done anything." Kíli protested and Bilbo sighed.

"What have the others done?"

Fíli and Kíli exchanged glances. "We're not entirely sure…"

Kíli nodded at Fíli's words. "I wouldn't leave you and you needed your sleep so we're staying here."

"We brought you breakfast." Fíli added, passing Bilbo a large plate of fruits and bread.

"Thank you…" Bilbo yawned, smiling appreciatively as he took the food.

Kíli and Fíli returned to the conservation that they had obviously been holding while Bilbo still slept.

"…you're telling me the truth?"

"Yes."

"The absolute truth?" Kíli raised a sceptical eyebrow.

"How did you honestly not know? Surely that must have heard _some _rumour about it…"

"Never." Kíli shook his head. "Bilbo, did _you _know that?"

Bilbo purposefully finished his mouthful before speaking. "Did I know what?"

"That some dwarven women have beards!" Kíli replied, his voice still shining with surprise.

Bilbo raised an eyebrow. "They do?"

"They do." Fíli nodded, looking amused. "Our mother never grew one because Thorin didn't. She thought that it would be a bit embarrassing for the king's sister to have a greater beard than the king. Though we all know that she could overshadow him if she so chose."

"Why _does_ Thorin have such a short beard?" Kíli asked, stealing a bread roll from Bilbo's plate comfortably.

"He wears it short in remembrance of the dwarves who lost their beards and their lives to the dragon. When we fulfil our goal he will grow his beard out once more."

Bilbo nodded absently at Fíli's solemn words, watching Kíli's reaction carefully. The dwarf wore a very familiar pensive expression as he listened to his brother. It made Bilbo smile – Kíli looked at Fíli the same way that Merry looked at Kíli.

"What is funny?" Fíli frowned, confused, and Bilbo almost choked.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't laughing at that, not at all, it seems a most noble thing to do! No, no…I was laughing at Kíli."

Kíli blinked. "What did I do now?"

"Oh, nothing at all." Bilbo smiled, and Kíli studied him suspiciously.

Fíli glanced between the two, smiling in mild amusement.

Footsteps warned Bilbo of another's presence before the knock on the archway, but he was surprised to see that the youth lingering on the edge of the door was a neither an elf nor a dwarf.

He was a man. Dark hair hung around his face, casting the intense brown eyes into shadow, but his expression was open and friendly enough, giving him the air of a lovable rogue.

"Hello." Bilbo spoke first, brushing crumbs from his jacket.

"Hello…" the youth returned, looking curiously at the trio. "I hope I'm not disturbing you?"

"Not at all." Bilbo shook his head automatically, and Kíli and Fíli smiled.

"Can we help you?" Kíli asked politely, his ever present grin on his face.

"I was wondering if I may spend a little time with you." The young man said bluntly. "I heard of your arrival this morning, and I am curious. Besides, perhaps you may like a guide?"

"You know Rivendell?" Kíli asked curiously, and the youth gave a wry smile.

"You are not the only one raised by those outside their own kin."

Kíli's eyes widened with interest and Bilbo nodded. "A tour would be lovely, thank you."

A bright grin cracked across the young man's face. "Excellent! My name is Estel."

"It is nice to meet you, Estel." Bilbo nodded properly, getting to his feet. "I am Bilbo Baggins-"

"And I am Kíli Baggins." Kíli interrupted.

"Fíli, son of Dís." The blond nodded and Estel grinned.

The trio spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon in the company of Estel, who proved himself an outstanding guide and a great source of information. Even Fíli was drawn into the elvish stories with interest. The eighteen year old boy was light-hearted and cheerful, with an unexpected interest in poetry and song writing, and he proved himself great company.

"This is my favourite place in the entire valley." Estel declared proudly, leading them into an empty room.

"Why?" Kíli asked curiously, and Bilbo had to second the question in his head. Though indeed the walls were as elegant as any others, he did not see anything special other than the sparkle in Estel's eyes.

"If you come here in the day, it is all but abandoned. But this, my dear friends, is the Hall of Fire. It is where stories are shared and songs are sung, and if you come here at night there is no place more enchanting in the world." Estel boasted, and Bilbo gave a wry smile as he recognised the pride of a home.

"How far have you travelled?" Fíli asked curiously, and Estel laughed.

"No further than Gondor, on one occasion, but as the men of the south tend to say, home is where the heart is."

"And your heart is here?" Kíli asked in a strange voice, staring at the fire at the end of the room.

"Yes…" Estel smiled. "Though I still have much to experience in the world."

"Don't we all…" Bilbo murmured without realising that the words had slipped out of his mouth. Not missing the odd look that Kíli gave him, Bilbo looked expectantly at Estel and waited for him to continue.

A few hours later, Estel delivered them back to the courtyard that the dwarves were occupying, and the evening passed surprisingly normally - Kíli trained with Fíli and Dwalin and then disappeared with Thorin for a Khuzdul lesson, though if the look on his face when he returned was anything to go by the teaching was far more intense than usual.

Bilbo himself had been receiving far more glares than usual - Thorin's reaction to Kíli's ability was unspoken and fierce.

Kíli did not even say 'hello' when he sat down next to Bilbo, instead just sighing tiredly.

"Are you alright?" Bilbo asked in a low voice of concern, but his son just nodded, without even making eye contact.

Kíli's body language was screaming for solitude as he pulled the little wooden medallion Merry had given him and began turning it over in his fingers, his face stony and closed. Considering for a moment, Bilbo stood up.

"Kíli, will you come with me for a short while?"

Looking up in mild confusion, Kíli nodded slowly and stood, following the hobbit out of the room. Pretending that he knew where he was going, Bilbo strode through the corridors of Rivendell until they reached an abandoned room. The hobbit walked in, expecting Kíli to follow, which he did.

"Here...This shall do." At Kíli's quizzical look, Bilbo elaborated. "You're miles away, Kíli, and you need your privacy."

Kíli smiled in disbelief. "Oh, Bilbo..."

"What?" The hobbit protested, before finding himself engulfed in a crushing hug.

"What would I do without you? Thank you for the privacy, Bilbo…thank you. But could I... Could I talk to you?"

Slightly pained that Kíli even had to ask, Bilbo gave a feeble chuckle. "Kíli, of course you can!"

Giving Bilbo a weak but grateful smile, Kíli sighed. "Bilbo, I'm...I'm..."

"You're what?" Bilbo asked softly after a moment.

"Homesick." Kíli whispered in a barely audible voice, his face utterly wretched. "Bilbo, I'm homesick but I... a part of me feels guilty that I feel homesick because I'm with my family. Something about this place makes me _think_, Bilbo, more than I'd like to." Bilbo had no idea what he could say so he reached out and touched Kíli's forearm. "I feel lost, Bilbo... And I feel so _awful_ for Thorin and Balin and the others - if I'm this homesick after two months..."

"Yes, I quite agree." Bilbo murmured.

Tears of frustration misted Kíli's eyes but refused to fall. "I just want someone to come and tell me what I should do and how I should feel!"

"We all do, at times." Bilbo admitted quietly. "But that's not the way that the world works."

Kíli snorted softly. "No, that would be too easy."

"Aye…oh bother and confusticate those dwarves!" Bilbo cursed, and Kíli frowned lightly.

"What?"

"Aye…" Bilbo muttered, "They have me speaking like one of them! Aye, indeed."

Kíli snorted and then gave a little laugh, leaning his head against the nearby wall. "Bilbo…what would I be without you?"

"A wildling?"

"Don't tease me, Bilbo, I'm serious."

Bilbo smiled. "I know, I'm sorry. That was cruel…"

As Kíli turned his head to stare out at the rising moon, Bilbo sighed, wishing that there was something he could say to help his son, burdened with the terrible knowledge that anything he did to help would most likely make things worse.

"Master Baggins?"

The hobbit and the dwarf looked up to see Elrond stepping through the doorway. Suddenly terribly aware that he may well be somewhere that he ought not to be, Bilbo gave a little bow. "Lord Elrond…"

"I was just on my way to look for the both of you." Elrond's easy tone calmed Bilbo's worries enough. "Would you follow me?"

"Of course." Bilbo glanced at Kíli. Concerns about the dwarf's need for privacy were brushed aside with the curiosity sparkling in Kíli's brown eyes, so Bilbo nodded. "Yes, of course."

Elrond bowed his head and led them out of the room. Recognising the corridors from Estel's tour earlier in the day, Bilbo felt anticipation spark into his stomach. Though he tried not to let it consume him unless he was mistaken, Bilbo grew more and more excited as they drew closer towards the Hall of Fire.

He exchanged an excited glance with Kíli behind Elrond's back as the sound of singing made its way to his sharp ears, and his joy grew with the dancing of Kíli's eyes.

Sure enough, Elrond stood by the arched doorway of young Estel's favourite room and welcomed the pair. The room was far from empty now, with more than thirty elves gathered together, laughing jovially. Estel himself was sitting in the fair corner by the fire next to a pair of identical twins, and he gave a small wave and a large grin to Bilbo and Kíli.

The laughter faded slightly as the pair entered, but there was no hostility in the silence, only curiosity.

"Welcome Masters Baggins." The twins next to Estel chanted warmly, earning them a sharp glance from Elrond that Bilbo pretended not to notice.

"Come and sit with us." Estel offered, jumping up to pull around two chairs, and gratefully Bilbo and Kíli sat down.

Bilbo felt more than a little awkward at the inquisitive stares, but Kíli seemed to be handling it well. Then again, as he had proved time and time again, Kíli Baggins was nothing if not adaptable. To Bilbo's relief, one of the twins called across the room.

"Áile, I do believe that it's your turn to tell us a tale…"

An elf Bilbo recognised as the harpist from their meal raised a single eyebrow. "Do you believe so, Elladan?"

"He does." The twin replied with a hint of teasing in his tone.

"Elrohir…" Elrond warned in a very familiar tone. It was the exact tone that Bilbo took with Kíli, the same tone that Adalgrim took with Esme, the same tone that Esme took with Merry. It was the tone of a parent.

Elrohir bowed his head and Áile smiled, before starting up a cheerful song about a woman who outsmarted a kingdom.

Bilbo's misconceptions about the constant serenity of the elves were proved to be false as the company proved to be just as merry and light-hearted as the dwarves, with some of their songs and tales just as ridiculous and very occasionally as crude. When Bilbo glanced at Kíli he saw his son happy and laughing with the rest of the crowd, his previous stress all but gone from his eyes.

The hours wore on unnoticeably, until a particularly sorrowful lament ended and Estel decided that a change of tone was needed.

"Kíli, why don't you tell us a tale?"

Bilbo looked at Kíli expectantly, not at all surprised to see the dwarf's cheeks flash red.

"Most of the stories I know have already been told, and if they haven't then I'm sure that you've heard them already from storytellers with far more skill than I have." He grinned wryly.

"If you would be comfortable to tell it, I'm sure that we would all love to hear your own story, Kíli Baggins." Elladan offered. The only way that Bilbo could tell the difference between the twins he now knew to be the sons of Elrond was the fact that they had not swapped seats since they were introduced.

As murmurs of affirmation undulated through the room, Elrohir continued Elladan's question. "We have never heard of a dwarf raised by a halfling before, let alone a prince."

"Alright…" Kíli cleared his throat. "My story begins before my memories do…"

As Bilbo listened, Kíli explained everything to the elves, speaking a lot more poetically than usual as he described the structure of his childhood and a couple of his more notable adventures with Saradoc, Esme and Paladin, and his gradual acceptance in the Shire. Though the stories content was not as enthralling or impressive as the tales the elves had shared, the dwarf drew on his impressive knowledge of poetry – a subject that Bilbo had made interesting for the boy by devising his own poems about great battles and adventures – and his natural knack for storytelling most commonly used on the children of the Shire to captivate his audience effectively, weaving his story around them carefully.

Elladan and Estel leant forward a little in their seats as Kíli's voice quietened effectively to highlight the tension he had felt peering through the little window by the door of Bag End and seeing a stranger lurch at his hobbit, and the elves did not so much as twitch as Kíli described his actions, skilfully recalling his precise emotions from precise moments.

Whether it was the words he used, the varying tone and pitch or the emotion in Kíli's voice that brought several women to tears at his poignant recollection of leaving Merry behind, Bilbo was not sure, but he suspected that it was a mix of all three.

The hobbit was a little surprised at how much the dwarf confided in the elves – confessing his fears of rejection or disproval from the dwarves and admitting how torn he felt when the word 'future' was even mentioned, but Bilbo was a also a little glad. Kíli needed to get those things off of his chest, and by weaving them into the story, his son could use the tales' events to draw attention away from his private thoughts even as he offered them up for the world to see.

Kíli wielded his words with as much skill as he did his bow, and by the time he concluded his tale with the company's arrival in Rivendell the only sound in the room was the crackle of the fire.

Finally, the silence was broken by Lord Elrond. "Well, Master Kíli…that was quite a story, and a story very well told."

Bowing his head with a sheepish grin, Kíli replied. "I think that the quality of the story telling is more down to Bilbo's teaching than it is down to any actual skill."

"Now that is most definitely not true." Bilbo protested, managing to stifle an exhausted yawn before anyone noticed it. "I only helped you hone in on the skills you already possessed."

"Can you tell us a tale, Bilbo?" Estel's eyes were filled with a hunger that Bilbo understood all too well – the devouring, dangerous, _delightful _hunger for knowledge.

Scouring his brain, Bilbo gave a little laugh. "I'm afraid that my poor brain is too addled tonight to do justice to any song or tale I know. It has been a long couple of days."

"Aye, you can say that again." Kíli snorted, a devilish fire lighting in his eyes as he declared loudly. "I think that it is well past my hobbit's bedtime."

"Kíli!" Bilbo groaned, hitting Kíli's arm rather harder than usual as he died of embarrassment. "You absolute…"

"What?" Kíli blinked innocently, and Bilbo gave him a severe look.

_You are going to pay for that later. _

Kíli tucked his chin towards his head slightly as he looked at Bilbo imploringly.

_Sorry…I couldn't resist…_

Bilbo shook his head. "As terribly humiliating as that may be, I do think that Kíli's right. I have had the most wonderful evening but I must go to bed while I still have the nous to find my way back."

Elrond bowed his head with a fond smile. "Of course…"

As Bilbo slid off of his chair, Kíli followed with a smile.

"Thank you very much." The young dwarf bowed at Elrond respectfully. "Bilbo is right, this was the most incredible night…"

"I am glad that you enjoyed yourselves." Elrond nodded.

"You are most welcome to return at any time during your stay." Elrohir smiled, and Elladan and Estel nodded enthusiastically along with several others.

A feeling of warmth spreading from the curls on his toes to the curls on his head that had nothing to do with the fire in the room, Bilbo bowed a final time to the gathering before turning to walk down the corridor with Kíli.

"That was great fun!" Kíli enthused, and Bilbo sent him a withering look.

"Ego, mibo orch, Kíli."

Kíli stopped, widening his eyes to the size of dinner plates and looking ridiculously like a puppy that had just been trodden on. "Bilbo?"

"Oh come off it, you know that you deserved that, you unpleasant child." The hobbit snorted.

"I'm sorry Bilbo, I couldn't resist!" Kíli pleaded, and Bilbo put his hands on his hips.

"Could not resist what? The temptation to humiliate me?"

Kíli's eyes flickered to the ground with genuine guilt. "Bilbo, I did not mean to humiliate you, I was only teasing…"

Shaking his head, Bilbo smiled fondly. "I know. I forgive you."

Instantly, Kíli beamed.

"Your story was very well told." Bilbo remarked as they began to walk down the corridors again.

"Thank you." Kíli laughed. "I wanted to see if me techniques would work on anyone over a foot high."

"I would say that was a yes." Bilbo grinned, and Kíli paused.

"I still think that you were unnecessarily harsh."

Bilbo was baffled. "About what?"

"You told me to go and kiss an orc. In elvish."

Bilbo rolled his eyes. "I was irritated. You deserved it."

"That's debatable."

Bilbo snorted softly as they drew nearer to the dwarves' courtyard. "No it isn't."

"I'm only conceding because you're about to collapse of exhaustion in your weak hobbit form."

"If you don't stop talking, Kíli Baggins, I will clip you around the ears, and I don't care who is watching!"

Kíli chuckled softly, slinging his arm around Bilbo affectionately as they turned into the courtyard full of sleeping dwarves. Only Fíli and Thorin remained awake, speaking quietly to each other in the far end of the room. Fíli grinned and Thorin looked somewhat relieved at their entrance, and Bilbo nodded to the both of them, before practically staggering to his bed roll.

His son went to speak to Fíli and Thorin quietly as Bilbo sank down under a woolly blanket provided by the elves, but the hobbit was too tired to care what they were speaking about.

On the other side of Rivendell, an ancient elven beauty in a white dress spoke to her grandson.

_"The dwarves are a strange collection." _Elladan admitted. _"I am not entirely sure what to make of them, though I like Kíli and Bilbo. They seem very decent folk." _

_"Yes…" _the woman who had spoken to Fíli the previous day nodded once. _"They are 'decent folk' to use your words. However, they are not the only worthy folk amongst their company. There are several I would be interested to converse with, after Mithrandir confessed the true purpose of their quest." _

_"Do you believe that the quest is a good idea?" _Elladan worried.

_"I trust in Mithrandir." _

The simple answer was more than enough for Elladan coming from the mouth of its speaker. "_Very well. I am certain that father would send for them…" _

_"I do not think that the House of Durin would appreciate that gesture, Elladan." _A smile spread across the beautiful elf's face. _"I shall seek out those I wish to see." _

_"Is Kíli one of them?" _Elladan asked knowingly, watching his grandmother's eyes sparkle.

_"The child is lost; torn between two worlds. If there is any race on this earth to share that feeling, it is the elves." _

Elladan paused. He had not thought of it that way, but of course his mother's mother was correct. _"You think we can help him." _

The Lady Galadriel smiled. _"We shall try." _

**_Wow, she is one hard elf to write in character. Sheesh! I hope you enjoyed that chapter but I have a brief note on the age of Aragorn (Estel). As I've pointed out before I've shifted the age of some certain young hobbits, but as ShivaVixen pointed out, having Aragorn the same age/younger than Frodo (who is ten in this story more or less) would be just plain weird. For the sake of the story (it will be of more consequence across the next pair of chapters) Estel does not yet know he is Aragorn son of Arathorn as he discovers that at the age of twenty in LOTR cannon I believe, so he doesn't have that weight on his shoulders and is a bit more merry than he is in the LOTR. For this reason Arwen cannot appear in this story as she had not met Aragorn yet. _**

**_Also, I hope Galadriel was okay, she's a hard elf to write! Sheesh… and also I wonder what she does with herself while she's not…well helping people on quests and being an awesome elf lady. _**

**_I hope you enjoyed and that everyone was in character! Sorry if there wasn't much action :( Leave a review if you like, I love 'em! _**


	13. Chapter 13: Of Kittens and Kingsfoil

**Thanks soooo much for all my reviews! I'm glad you're still with me :P **

**I started to write in Ori's POV in this chapter and got a little carried away – the relationship between him and his brothers is one of my favourite subplots of ****_The Hobbit – _****so I hope you don't mind! **

**Read. Enjoy. Review. **

**Chapter Thirteen # Of Kittens and Kingsfoil # **

Ori's brothers had never really got along; the young scribe could not remember a time before their bitter bickering. On occasion the arguments had become so fierce that Nori had left their little house for months. Two times it was his choice, but the last time it was Dori's.

However, Ori's brothers were always there, if not for each other then definitely for him. Losing either Dori or Nori would be unbearable, but Ori was very aware that one day he may well have to bear it. Ori had thought a lot about his brothers since the discovery of Kíli at Bag End, and Fíli's subsequent revival.

His faint memories of his own mother were littered with scoldings informing his brothers that they would not have each other forever and that one day they would regret the constant fighting. She had died when he was seven years old and he had felt the bite of grief for the first time, but her warning had never rung truer in his ears.

"Get up, Ori."

A gentle kick landed on Ori's chest and he groaned. "I'm awake."

"'Awake' and 'up' are two different things." Nori's vaguely amused voice seemed to be coming from his right, Ori thought as a suspicious clinking sound came from Nori's bag.

His eyes flew open as a candlestick disappeared out of view and he grimaced. "Nori..."

His older brother turned, grinning, though his smile dimmed at the pained look on Ori's face.

Ori could still remember being a small boy fighting against Dori the first time Nori had been arrested, he could still remember screaming as loud as he could that his brother was not a thief, he could still remember the shame burning red on Nori's cheeks, and he told Nori that he remembered with a look of pure disappointment.

"Morning." Nori said gruffly and Ori shook his head, glancing around.

They were not alone, but Óin and Glóin's conversation was growing louder by the second, distracting both Bofur and Bifur.

"We're not starving anymore, Nori." He muttered bitterly, standing up and brushing himself off, the lethargy of sleep leaving his limbs.

Nori sighed. "Brother-"

"Don't worry, I won't tell Dori." Ori interrupted Nori, before walking away calmly to find some breakfast.

Ori had learnt from Nori himself that storming out only caused more tension, but _walking_ away with your head hung dejectedly made for a good guilt trip when you were truly disappointed. Even so, he knew that Nori's thievery would not be changed by a simple guilt trip – he had put his brother through many of those. He almost felt guilty himself, until he reminded himself what it was like for Nori in that dirty little cell the times he was actually caught.

Though Dori could not, or maybe would not, understand, Ori knew that Nori's stealing had become a compulsion that his brother could not, or maybe would not, control. There was something comforting in the consistency nevertheless, and once again Ori found himself wondering what it would be like for his brothers to change as drastically as Kíli had.

Discovering breakfast in a nearby alcove, Ori joined Bombur, Bilbo, Fíli and Kíli around the little table.

"Morning." Fíli and Kíli chorused with identical smiles, nodding their heads at a slight tilt at the exact same time.

Ori froze, a little unnerved as their smiles grew in unison.

Bombur snorted and returned to his porridge and Bilbo rolled his eyes. "Ignore them Ori, they've been doing it all morning. It's completely planned."

"We don't know what you're talking about!" The two brothers widened their eyes and shook their heads and Ori laughed, sitting down and grabbing a plate, filling it up with food.

Bilbo smiled at the young dwarf. "Now, I was about to say-"

"Yes?" Fíli and Kíli interrupted Bilbo, leaning forward and putting their chins on their hands.

"Oh, be quiet both of you!" The hobbit waved a hand dismissively.

"Our sincerest apologies, Bilbo." They chanted.

"This morning, Ori-"

By now that two brothers were all but singing. "And what a lovely morning it is."

"Kíli is afraid of cats." Bilbo informed Ori in a very matter of fact tone and Kíli widened his eyes, Fíli following half a second later.

Ori frowned. "Cats?"

"Well, kittens more specifically." Bilbo nodded knowingly.

"Bilbo…" Kíli and Fíli growled, and Ori barely contained his laughter.

"Kíli is afraid of kittens? Well, that's very sad. They're so cute and fluffy!"

"Indeed, indeed." Bilbo shook his head with a solemn sigh, his face calm while his eyes danced with malice.

"I am not afraid of kittens." Kíli protested, and Ori could swear that Fíli's unison was a fraction of a second too late.

Ignoring Kíli completely, Bilbo continued as he passed Ori another bread roll from his end of the table. "Once he got so scared that he shot up a tree and screamed until I climbed up and got him. The poor little creature was only this big-" Bilbo held his hands apart to the size of a saucer. "-but it licked his finger and he was certain it was going to eat him."

"Bilbo!" Kíli whined as Fíli gave up and burst into laughter. "That's not fair, nor are you telling the entire story."

"Oh, please do elaborate for us, my dear boy." Bilbo grinned, and Kíli glowered at him.

"Saradoc told me that the thing had rabies."

"Rabies?" Ori snorted.

"Aye…" Kíli glared darkly, and Bilbo winked at him.

"It was last year."

Kíli groaned, dropping his head onto his arms as his companions dissolved into fits of uncontrollable, borderline hysterical laughter.

"What on earth is going on in here?"

Ori looked up at his oldest brother's voice, gathering himself together again to answer. "Kíli's scared of kittens!"

"Kittens? Really?" Dori frowned.

"No!" Kíli's reply was muffled by the fact that he was still hiding his face on the table.

"It's quite alright lad, we all have irrational fears." Dori's grin was amused but comforting – a look Ori knew well – as he patted Kíli on the shoulder, causing the dwarf to moan again and his friends to fall back into laughter.

"Ah, dear, that was far too much fun." Bilbo sighed happily, and Kíli raised his head, sending Bilbo a look that should have fried him where he sat.

"You are a cruel hobbit."

"So you tell me whenever you misbehave."

"I wasn't misbehaving!" Kíli replied indignantly. "And I'm not a child anymore!"

"Of course not."

Kíli rolled his eyes and stood up. "Come on, Fíli."

"Alright…" Fíli chuckled, and Kíli shoved him with exasperation. "Kittens…"

"I'm not afraid of kittens!"

"Kíli the Kitten-fearer!"

"Fíli the fool…"

"Kíli's scared of kittens!"

"Keep your voice down!"

As the two brother's taunts slowly faded away, Bilbo shook his head. "Fools, the both of them…"

Ori gave another little laugh, and asked curiously. "What were you going to say?"

"What? Oh, yes…I was planning on exploring the library today, and I was wondering if you would like to join me."

Instantly, Ori grinned. He had only been able to bring two books, excluding his journal, and he had already re-read them both. "Yes, please!"

"Excellent." The hobbit smiled, taking one last bread roll from the table.

"Master Baggins, whereabouts is this library?" Dori asked, and Ori held back a sigh. Dori's mothering stemmed from genuine concern and some terrible past experiences, so much so that Ori would rarely complain, but Durin's beard was it irritating…

"In the Eastern Wing of Rivendell. I've been given an explicit set of directions; apparently the company have already developed a habit of getting lost. Would you like to come, too?"

"No thank you, Master Baggins." Dori smiled, shaking his head and reaching for an apple.

Soon enough, Ori was accompanying the hobbit through the admittedly beautiful corridors of Rivendell. None of the others had been interested by the prospect of books and tomes, preferring instead to train like Fíli, Kíli, Thorin and Dwalin were doing, or even to start working on new figures and toys to sell like Bifur and Bofur. The only dwarf Ori was unsure of was Nori, and quite frankly he did not want to know what the troublemaker was up to.

"Wow…" he breathed upon entering the library.

The biggest room Ori had seen so far in Rivendell was not as open to the elements as the others, but nevertheless natural light poured in through the windows, creating ideal conditions for some good comfortable reading. Bookshelves lined the walls and jutted out from them at graceful angles, and the entire room was filled with books that all looked entirely in place. In the corner was a pair of long chairs intended for reading the books, and both Ori and Bilbo fell in love with the place at first sight.

For hours, Ori immersed himself so many books and took so many notes that he did not even notice when Bilbo disappeared until he felt his stomach rumble.

"Bilbo?" he called softly, unable to disrespect a library, even if it did belong to elves. Slowly, the young dwarf stood and began to look down the numerous aisles of bookshelves. "Bilbo?"

The seed of worry in Ori's stomach was not a fear for the hobbits safety, nor was it a fear for his own safety. However, without the hobbit Ori felt very out of place in Rivendell, and the last thing he wanted was to be discovered by an elf. That would make for a very awkward conversation.

"Bilbo?"

Ori paused as he reached the door of the library and peered through the archway. At the end of the long corridor before him was Bilbo, talking to a woman with the most incredible blonde hair that Ori had ever seen. As he watched, the woman smiled at Bilbo and bowed her head, before gliding away.

The hobbit paused a moment, before turning and walking back to the room in a daze. He was so distracted that he did not seem to notice Ori until the dwarf called out his name again.

"Bilbo?"

Bilbo jumped. "Oh, I'm sorry, Ori I didn't see you there…What's wrong?"

"Nothing…" Ori frowned slightly. "I was wondering where you were. Who was that?"

Bilbo just shook his head, sending a strange look down the corridor where the elf lady had disappeared, a little smile on his face.

Not one to pry despite his ever growing lust for information, Ori just smiled softly, and wordlessly the pair returned to the books, but apparently Bilbo's mind was wandering.

"Ori, I was wondering if you could answer a question for me?"

"I can try." Ori smiled, and the hobbit nodded.

"Dwarves and their braids…what do they mean?"

"Various things…" Ori started slowly, wondering how best to explain the complexities that were dwarven hairstyles. "Some braids mean very specific things, which is usually defined by the clasp they use…the more detailed the clasp the higher the braid's importance. So Thorin's braids show his status as king because of their placement and the silver clasps, and Fíli's show_ his _status as Thorin's heir. It's more of a sign for other dwarves than it is for outsiders I suppose… Anyway most of us braid our hair by preference. Dori and Nori, for example - symbolically, their braids mean nothing, but I think you can tell as much about a dwarf from his hair as you can from his clothes."

Bilbo nodded thoughtfully. "I see… It's an insult to cut a dwarf's hair or beard, is it not?"

"It is." Ori replied. "Although in some circumstances a dwarf will wear his hair or beard short…"

"Like Thorin." Bilbo confirmed. "In remembrance of the dwarves who lost their beards and lives to Smaug?"

"Exactly." Ori said sombrely.

"That was one of the few things I knew about dwarves before Kíli came along…" Bilbo murmured absently. "A few of my neighbours wondered why I never cut his hair…"

"I think that it's good that you tried to keep him in touch with his dwarven nature." Ori offered, a little unused to giving his serious opinion to anyone other than his brothers but comfortable in the hobbit's company. "It was a decent thing to do."

"I'm glad you think so." Bilbo laughed slightly.

Ori nodded and the pair returned to reading, though it did not escape the young dwarf's notice that Bilbo's eyes kept flickering to the door, and Ori began to wonder exactly who the elf talking to Bilbo had been…

On the other side of Rivendell, Dwalin thrust his sword to the ground by his bedroll and gave a deep laugh as Thorin shook his head. A small smile was gracing the king's face and for that Dwalin was gratefully, though it had taken six hours of solid sparring to coax anything other than a snarl from Thorin's face.

Though it was a little hypocritical of him, Dwalin knew that it was not good to be scowling all of the time, even when around elves.

"That was a good match, my friend." Thorin breathed, glancing up at the blushing sky. "I cannot wait to leave this place."

"Aye…" Dwalin agreed wholeheartedly, looking around the dwarven courtyard. Bilbo and Ori were missing, as were Fíli and Kíli, but the other dwarves all appeared to be present, with one glaring exception.

"Where is Balin?" Thorin asked him, and Dwalin raised an eyebrow at his king.

"How would I know, I've been with you all day."

Thorin inclined his head and sighed, sitting himself down regally by his bedding roll and removing a whetstone from his bag.

Mirroring his friend's actions, Dwalin began to sharped his own knives, feeling their familiar weight in his hands. Perhaps he would loan a knife to Kíli…

The boy had been quick to worm his way back into Dwalin's hardened heart, though none but Balin and possibly Thorin could tell, and Dwalin still felt uncomfortable about Kíli's lack of weaponry, though he had more than proved his skill with a bow.

Even as Dwalin thought of his best friend's younger nephew, familiar laughter met his ears, and Fíli and Kíli strode back into the room, shoving each other playfully as they crossed over to the far corner.

"What on earth happened to you two?" Dori questioned, and Dwalin seconded the inquiry internally, taking in the numerous scrapes the boys bore, as well as the blossoming bruise on Fíli's cheek.

"Kíli has some interesting sparring techniques."

"Oh, that's just typical…Blaming the poor dwarf with no training for the fact that _you, _my dear brother, fell out of a tree."

Dwalin narrowed his eyes, sensing a humorous story coming quickly closer. "What were you doing in a tree?"

"Wrestling." The brothers stated in unison, and Fíli rolled his eyes.

"Like I said, Kíli's techniques are questionable."

"They were not my techniques." The young dwarf protested. "You and Dwalin both taught me to play on my strengths and use what I already know… I can climb trees. I knew you were a clumsy climber, but honestly… a ten year old could have stayed in that tree."

"You took a wrestling match into a tree?" Dwalin confirmed, wondering about the boy's sanity. At Kíli's nod, he rubbed a hand over his beard. "I suppose you have a point, lad. I take it you lost, Fíli?"

"I did." Fíli nodded with a proud smile. "Kíli beat me, fair and square in the end."

Dwalin did not miss the pride igniting Kíli's own smile, but he missed the lad's response for at that moment Balin returned, looking very lost in thought.

"Brother…"

"Good evening…" Balin murmured, sitting next to Dwalin and retrieving his pipe without so much as looking at his brother.

Confused, Dwalin studied his brother's face. "Where have you been?"

"I was talking to an elf Lady." Balin said quietly, his words for Dwalin's ears only. Luckily the others had all begun sniggering at Kíli about a kitten or the like, and Dwalin was the only one to hear.

"Aye?"

"She told me some very strange things…" Balin mused, shaking his head.

"And that's all you'll tell me?" Dwalin realised grumpily.

An amused smile poked at the corners of Balin's mouth. "Until later, yes. I have a lot to think about…"

Thoroughly confused, but certain that answers would come in time, Dwalin nodded and reluctantly let the matter drop.

Bofur had been with his cousin all day, so when Bifur's intended trip to the bathroom lasted for over half an hour, he started to silently worry a little. Since the axe incident, Bifur's tolerance level for elves was dangerously high, but his inability to communicate could easily make him appear as a threat to a paranoid elf and Bofur knew it.

Bilbo and Ori returned before Bifur did, and Bofur found himself talking to the hobbit over a dinner of stew that had been brought in by a pair of elven stewards. Bofur liked Bilbo a lot, he was a good person and a good friend, and in the month or so that Bofur had known him, he had made a far better impression on the amiable toymaker than some of the other dwarves when he first met them.

"How was your day, lads?" he asked Bilbo and Ori easily, and the pair poured into a description of how marvellous Elrond's library was.

Eventually they both had to pause for breath and Bofur laughed. "How did you ever get out of there?"

"Lord Elrond entered and informed us that we were in danger of missing dinner." The hobbit's tone told Bofur just how dangerous that was for the hobbit and he laughed again.

"I'm glad to see your priorities are still right, Bilbo!"

Even as he spoke, Bifur walked in through the doorway and Bofur grinned at his cousin, a little confused by the peaceful look of thoughtfulness on his cousin's face. Bifur's content had become too rare a sight of late.

"Where were you?"

Grunting softly, Bifur made an Iglishmêk symbol for 'talking'.

"To who?" Bofur asked, very surprised.

Bifur's hands fluttered so quickly that Bofur almost lost some of the gestures. 'Elven lady', 'on return', 'knew me'.

"How do you mean?" Bofur frowned, and Bifur shrugged evasively, leaning back against a nearby table and closing his eyes.

Concern passed across Bofur's heart, but he knew better than anyone that Bifur was a little odd, and that he would be alright. Bofur would just keep more of an eye out; that was the only thing of consequence to come out of that evening.

He had no idea that Bifur had held a conversation with one of the most powerful elves in Middle Earth, and he had no idea how deeply her words had struck his cousin to the core.

Óin could not sleep straight away that night. Ori and Bilbo had brought him back several books that he could borrow from the library with medicines and potions that he had never even heard of before, and he spent the first few hours of the night pouring over the notes and making notes both in his head and in his own old medicinal journal. He was still writing when the rest of the company all settled down to sleep, his candle the only source of light in the room.

However a faint scuffling caught his eye and he looked up to see Kíli whispering something in Fíli's ear. The blond nodded sleepily and Kíli stood up, straightened out his clothes and crept out of the room. Wondering where on earth the boy was going, Óin opened his mouth, but he quickly closed it again. No need to embarrass the boy if he was experiencing weakness of the bladder…

Paying no further heed to the heirs of Durin, Óin continued to thumb through the old books.

_Athelas, _the book read, _or Kingsfoil is thought to be a weed to the peoples of Middle Earth, however, the healing qualities it possess are surpassed by few other herbs…_

Óin read and read until suddenly his light spluttered and died, and he realised that his candle had burnt out. With a sigh, he decided that it was time for bed, and he lay down beside his brother, his head bursting with the glorious new information that could save lives someday.

Sleep took Óin quickly, and he did not notice Kíli's return shortly afterwards. Even if he had, without the candle he would not have seen the look of tranquil wonder that lingered on Kíli's face after meeting with the mysterious elf lady that had borrowed members of the company throughout the day.

It was a very contented young dwarf who slipped under his blanket that night, the name that he had been given by the Lady Galadriel swimming around his head.

_Kíli Baggins, son of Durin. _

**Sooo, all of the conversations with Galadriel have occurred, but they will all come in flashbacks! Mwhahaha! **

**I would love to hear any guesses as to why Galadriel spoke to Bilbo, Bifur, Balin, and Kíli (not because their names all start with B, lol!) and any theories as to what she actually said. **

**Next chapter we shall probably read some runes and leave Rivendell and it shall be back to the action. **

**Note – this chapter name was a little odd seeing as how kittens and kingsfoil don't seem that important, but I have my reasons :P**

**Note 2 - the tiny little bit in Ori's memories where he screamed that his brother is not a thief was inspired by the picture 'My Brother Is Not a Thief' by Tenshi-Inverse on deviantart :)**

**Hope you enjoyed it :) **


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